


dystychiphobia (and a fear of falling) // 也许明天

by anticommute



Category: Super Junior-M
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-21
Updated: 2012-12-21
Packaged: 2017-11-21 21:19:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/602184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anticommute/pseuds/anticommute
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>fate draws the lines but it is our choices that paint the colours. where kyuhyun is a navy officer, zhou mi is a pirate, and ships fly. steampunk!au</p>
            </blockquote>





	dystychiphobia (and a fear of falling) // 也许明天

There had been an execution. Kyuhyun had never been fond of executions.  
  
Chatter spilled into the emptiness around him, a torrent of white noise as he sat by himself at the bar, the stem of a wine glass held lightly between his fingers. He swirled it once and again for good measure. A poet had once said that all the world's answers could be found in a glass of wine. The only answer he saw was good wine.  
  
"Fancy seeing you here." A voice interrupted his silent musings, and Kyuhyun looked up languidly as someone slid onto the stool next to him. The face was familiar, but not in a way he could place. "Not joining in the festivities?" the stranger asked. He nodded at Kyuhyun's uniform, jerking a thumb to the streets outside. Kyuhyun understood it to mean the pubs, which were sure to be seeing an explosion of business tonight. This wasn't a town that took kindly to pirates - a good choice for an execution.  
  
"Do I know you?" Kyuhyun asked instead. A warm buzz was beginning to spread through his limbs, leaving him pleasantly relaxed. The events of the day were fading into the background—although he hadn't paid the spectacle much mind in the first place. Watched them get herded off the ship, supervised their sailors, and retreated into the crowd to wait for it to be over. As far as Kyuhyun was concerned, it was a whole lot of fuss stirred up to placate the common people just to dispose of common rabble. A big waste of time, in other words. On the other hand, if it had been the _Devil's Gale_ or the _Revenge_ , he would've been a lot more eager to see them go—not that he was holding his breath.  
  
The stranger laughed, jerking Kyuhyun out of his thoughts. "Maybe," he said. "We've met."  
  
Kyuhyun frowned lightly at this, sipping from his glass. "I don't remember."  
  
Another laugh. "You wouldn't," he said, his eyes dancing. "I didn't catch your name last time, though."  
  
Maybe it was because of the wine, or maybe it was because Kyuhyun was suddenly distracted by the stranger's face in ways he'd rather deny, or maybe it was because it was just one of those moments when judgement slips us by without us being able to stop it, but regardless, he answered. "Kyuhyun." Another frown. He shouldn't have said that.  
  
"Kyuhyun," the stranger repeated, the name rolling off his tongue in a way that didn't quite fit. He noticed as well, an awkward laugh accompanying a shrug. "Maybe I should stick to calling you Lieutenant," he said, with a nod at Kyuhyun's ranking stripes.  
  
Kyuhyun's eyes flickered to his shoulder before giving the stranger a critical look-over. He wasn't military, that much Kyuhyun was sure of. He'd grown up around military; he knew what it was like. Nor was he a simple low-born citizen, if the way he dressed was any indication. Too slightly built with clothes on the casual side of formal. Good looking, Kyuhyun admitted to himself, with an unfortunately bulbous nose. A merchant, Kyuhyun pegged him as.  
  
"You're staring." The stranger gave him an amused look, corners of his lips quirking up into a smile.  
  
"You can read rank," Kyuhyun responded flatly.  
  
"I can," was the easy response, before the stranger signaled to the barkeep, asking for whatever Kyuhyun was having. Kyuhyun watched him pick it up by the stem, the shape of his fingers pale and slender, but the fingers themselves rough and scarred. He must have been staring, because the man curled his fingers self-consciously with an awkward smile as he brought the glass to his lips. His tongue flickered over his lips, as he made a face. “I'm not a fan of wine,” he admitted, the glass clinking quietly against the wooden counter.  
  
“Then you shouldn't have ordered it,” Kyuhyun pointed out, sipping at his own glass.  
  
“True,” the stranger laughed. “You seemed to enjoy it, so I thought it might be different. Besides, today seemed like a good time to try something different.”  
  
Kyuhyun hummed noncommittally, nursing his own wine as they lapsed into silence. This particular vintage was light and sweet, flown in from one of the southern Central vineyards, although the grapes themselves were grown from a foreign culture, one of the Common countries beyond the West. He glanced beside him; the man had finished half the glass despite his claims of dislike. His eyes traced the sharp line of his jaw down to where his collarbones peeked through the edges of his shirt, pausing briefly along the bob of his throat as he swallowed.  
  
“You're staring again,” the stranger pointed out with a quirk of his lips. Kyuhyun looked away awkwardly, and fumbled for his watch instead. Siwon had given the crew the night off—they weren't due to set flight again until well into the next day, but an uncomfortable flush under his collar prompted him to stand anyway. It must have been because he hadn't drunk in a while, and the wine was getting to his head.  
  
“I should go,” he said. He drained his glass, sliding enough coinage onto the counter to cover his tab.  
  
Beside him, the other mirrored his movements. He was tall, taller than Kyuhyun, and Kyuhyun wasn't exactly short. “I should be leaving as well,” he said. “It's been a long day.”  
  
Outside, the streets were still reeling from the events of the day. While some Navy could be seen patrolling the streets, they did nothing to stop the drunken celebrations, laughing instead as a group of men too far into their cups kicked at a ragged human shaped bundle on the ground.  
  
“He's Western,” the other remarked softly, staring at the huddle of people.  
  
Kyuhyun shrugged. “A pirate, I bet. Deserves it.” The man took a step in the drunkards' direction—Kyuhyun reached out and caught him by the shoulder. From the look the man gave him, he was as surprised as Kyuhyun was himself as he drew his hand back, shrugging. “Better not to get involved with pirates. They'll think you're one of them.”  
  
The man gave him an inscrutable look, his jaw tightening as he nodded. A frown passed over his face, and then stayed as if stuck on unnaturally. “You're right,” he said slowly. He fell into step at an easy pace as Kyuhyun started walking, his longer stride making up for Kyuhyun's faster steps.  
  
“The docks?” he asked. Kyuhyun nodded, stuck his hands in his pockets. The evening air was warm, spring giving way to summer. For a long moment, the only sounds of conversation were their boots echoing hollowly against the paved cobblestone street and the whirr of engines as an airship passed low above them, the wind from the wings stirring up dust storms in the cracks between the cobblestones.  
  
It was the other who broke the silence first, an awkward cough at the back of his throat. “I'm going this way,” he said, gesturing down an intersecting avenue. “It was nice to meet you, Lieutenant.” His eyes danced as he addressed Kyuhyun by his rank.  
  
Kyuhyun shrugged. “Yeah, sure.” Nice to meet you too, he thought blankly.  
  
“I hope we'll meet again,” the man said with a nod, before turning away.  
  
Kyuhyun shook his head. “Don't be so sure of it,” he murmured to himself, and continued his own way down to the docks.  
  
  
-  
  
  
  
Zhou Mi waited until he was far enough away from Kyuhyun before ducking down a side street, doubling back in the direction they had come from. He glanced behind him, an instinctive gesture even though there was no way Kyuhyun would be following, before breaking out into a run. The town was not one they frequented for good reason, and Zhou Mi thanked his lucky stars that he found himself on the same street they had been on before. The cluster of men from before were still there, and Zhou Mi didn't know whether to be upset or glad. Maybe both.  
  
“Leave him alone.” He slowed to a walk as he approached. They looked at him, one of the Navy men approaching with a leer. The stench of alcohol was overpowering. They laughed, and Zhou Mi was aware of how ridiculous he must seem, one person trying to pick a fight with six. He frowned. “The Navy is sworn to protect the people,” he pointed out.  
  
“Western dogs don't deserve protection. What, you one of them?”  
  
Zhou Mi clenched his jaw, and swung his fist in response. There was only so much injustice he could swallow in a day. He had watched a child die today, when he was standing far enough back in the crowd that there had been nothing he could reasonably do but watch, but here, he could do far more than just watch. Alcohol made the men clumsy, and Zhou Mi jabbed them sharply in the chest with his elbow to send them stumbling backwards, ducking easily from a stray blow aimed at his head. “Leave him alone,” he repeated, teeth gritted.  
  
This time, the four not in uniform did back away, well bruised for their efforts. Zhou Mi glanced down at the Western man; his clothes were torn and bloodied, but at the least, all his limbs seemed intact and he was alive, which was probably more than could be said for most people caught in the wrong place at the wrong time by the wrong people. When he looked back up, it was to look down the barrel of a gun. “You can't do that,” he said with more calm than he felt.  
  
The Navy sailor laughed in his face, and clicked the chamber into place. Zhou Mi's hand gravitated unconsciously to where he kept his own before he stopped himself. “I'll just say you were a pirate. You Western dogs are all the same, and only one of your kind would have bothered to help trash like yourself.”  
  
“Any decent human being would've,” Zhou Mi said, and reached up to grab at the barrel of the gun—or he would've, had someone not gotten there first, pulling it away from his face. Zhou Mi blinked, only to see his captain standing beside him.  
  
“Fine conduct for the Navy,” his captain remarked coolly. “Pointing guns at innocent civilians. No wonder the pirates are more popular in some towns. Surprised this isn't one of them.”  
  
“You—” the man spluttered. Zhou Mi noted with some relief that the man's companion had started to back away. He wasn't surprised; the captain may not have been as tall as Zhou Mi, but he was far better built and more intimidating than Zhou Mi could ever be. The Navy sailor spat at Zhou Mi's feet, before the two of them turned on their heels and strode away.  
  
“Now what got into you?” the captain asked.  
  
Zhou Mi shrugged and offered him a smile, bending down to tend to the other man. “ _Are you alright?_ ” he asked in Western—not because he doubted that the man spoke Common, but because he thought the old tongue would offer more comfort.  
  
The man nodded, eyes opening wide at Zhou Mi's words. “Thank you,” he said, getting slowly to his feet. Zhou Mi hurriedly reached forward to support him, but the man pushed him away. “You've done more than enough, _thank you._ ” The last words were said quickly, as if he were afraid someone would overhear. “I wouldn't use the old language tonight if I were you,” the man said with a quick shake of the head, before limping off.  
  
The captain's hand on Zhou Mi's shoulder stopped him from following. When Zhou Mi turned to look at him, the man's expression was simultaneously disapproving and sympathetic. “Sorry, I was rash,” Zhou Mi apologised.  
  
“This not the town for that,” the captain reminded him. “We set flight in the morning, try not to cause trouble before then.”  
  
Zhou Mi nodded—the captain was right. This was one of the last towns they were welcome in, and Zhou Mi knew it well. “The crew's been wanting to set flight since before we docked. They'd rather we never did in the first place,” he said, as they traced the steps he had walked with Kuixian minutes earlier.  
  
"Perhaps." The captain shrugged. "But respect's due where respect's due, and there's no two ways about that. An important thing to remember, Mi, captain or no."  
  
"Aye, captain," Zhou Mi said. And it _had_ been a matter of respect; they'd talked about it before docking, Zhou Mi doubting whether it was too risky, not worth it. The captain had been adamant. A brave crew, he'd said. The captain had been a good man, he'd said. But, Zhou Mi had argued, "But I don't think the crew sees it that way."  
  
Then and now, the captain laughed at this, clapped Zhou Mi on the shoulder. "No, but that's what cap'ns are for, no?"  
  
“Aye, captain,” Zhou Mi repeated. He glanced over his shoulder—the Western man was long out of sight. And in front, Kuixian was long gone as well. Kyuhyun, Zhou Mi corrected himself. An officer aboard the _HMS Medea_ , Zhou Mi had seen him when their ships had tangled a few weeks ago. It had been somewhat of a surprise to see him tonight, particularly to have met him where he did. By all rights, the other man should have been celebrating with his crew, getting drunk at the expense of pirates.  
  
Pirates. Zhou Mi laughed wryly. “I'm not exactly an innocent civilian,” he pointed out to the captain, remembering his earlier words.  
  
“Would you rather have me let him shoot you? You're too good a first mate to lose, Mi, or I might just have.” The captain laughed at his own words, before sobering quickly. “Recklessness doesn't become you.”  
  
Zhou Mi nodded silently. In hindsight, he should've simply followed Kuixian's advice, but hindsight was like a hawk's eye and Zhou Mi was only human. Kuixian—Zhou Mi frowned to himself, catching sight of a familiar figure standing near one of the Navy airships.  
  
He did hope that they could meet again, but the captain was right, this was not the time or place for it, and after all, recklessness didn't particularly suit him at all.  
  
When they finally cast the last lines off from the _Spitfire_ in the morning, Zhou Mi sighed in relief. It wasn't that he didn't _dislike_ being grounded, it was just that he didn't particularly like it. Which, he mused, wasn't quite the same as disliking something.  
  
She was a good girl, even if she had more than a few years under her belt. He ran his eyes over the streamlined shape, its hull painted the sky on cloudless days. The guns were just visible from a few open ports—Donghae waved to him when he caught his eye. The wings had been shaped for optimal speed—he cringed when his line of sight snagged over the damage from their brief run in with the _Medea_.  
  
And Kuixian, he thought blithely, clinging to the line as it was hauled over deck. He hoped they could meet again, he decided, just as long as it wasn't like the first time.  
  
  
-  
  
  
Kyuhyun coughed, eyes watering from the smoke as he made his way to the railing. He peered over the edge at the pirate ship below, its colours fluttering tattered in the wind. A sudden lurch that sent him stumbling half a step backward told him that orders were indeed being followed—Kyuhyun ignored the interruption, stepping towards the railing again to keep a careful eye on the pirate ship. They'd hit one of its wings, the ship lilting dangerously midair, but the damn dogs still had enough fight in them to write them off. If he'd read the charts right, they'd be over open water for a good few kliks–damn if he cared if they captured the ship or just blew it full of holes and dropped it to sink through the waves.  
  
"Lieutenant Cho!" A shout brought his attention back onto the deck, towards the helm where the apprentice navigator, a boy fresh out of the Academy, was waving furiously at him. "Hankyung says he wants to talk to you!"  
  
Kyuhyun frowned, making his way to the helm. Hankyung's face was drawn in concentration as he manipulated the controls, turning when he heard the younger man approach. "Something wrong?" Kyuhyun asked.  
  
Hankyung shrugged and gestured for the boy to hold the ship on a straight course, freeing up his hands to point at the pirate ship below. "I don't like how they're manoeuvring," Hankyung explained over the sounds of gunfire. "Their rear starboard wings - see, they're dragging even though they haven't sustained damage. Looks like they want to catch a draft up, probably board us. Their nav knows what he's doing."  
  
"We can't avoid them?" Kyuhyun cast the older man a sideways look. He may have graduated top of his class at the officer's academy, but when it came to matters like these, Hankyung's knowledge and experience was far greater than his, and Kyuhyun knew it. They all knew it, really, that Hankyung had a natural talent for piloting the great airships that were the pride of the Imperial fleet. Which was why he was Master Navigator of the HMS Medea, despite the constant rumours that he was more Western than the simple Common background he claimed.  
  
Hankyung shook his head. "Doubt it. If we keep going this way, they'll be in a perfect position. We can turn and head them off - they'll still board, but we can gun them down along the way. Or—" He paused in hesitation, lips pressed into a thin line.  
  
"Or?" Kyuhyun prompted. He had little patience for guessing games, particularly at crucial times like these.  
  
Hankyung shrugged, gaze evaluating the situation below. "We could run them down. It's possible."  
  
"You don't want to do it," Kyuhyun said evenly. He chanced a sideways glance at the older man. His shoulders were tense—Kyuhyun knew he was right. "How hard would it be?" he asked when there was no response.  
  
"Not very," Hankyung said after a moment of concentration. "For me."  
  
"Good. Then do that," Kyuhyun said. "I'll tell the captain."  
  
"You're sure?" Hankyung's eyes were dark with worry. Kyuhyun made a mental note of it as he clapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
Minutes later, soon after Kyuhyun had relayed Hankyung's plan to a slightly skeptical but nodding Lieutenant Commander Choi bent over the telecom machine in the command center, the tell-tale crunch of splintering wood rang hollowly through the air. The two of them glanced at each other before dashing to the deck, in time to watch the _Medea_ ram into the pirate ship, fitted spikes tearing through the hull like so much paper.  
  
"Well," Kyuhyun commented as the mangled wing finally gave way and the ship plummeted amidst screams, "that was anti-climatic."  
  
"It's better that way." Hankyung joined the two of them at the rail, leaving the course of the ship to the apprentice. Kyuhyun wondered if he was imagining the tinge of regret in his voice. "Captain," he greeted respectfully.  
  
"Hankyung." Siwon nodded, acknowledging his arrival. "They won't survive the fall," he said, looking over the rail again.  
  
"They would've died anyway," Kyuhyun pointed out pragmatically. "What were you discussing with HQ?" he wanted to know. When there wasn't an immediate response, Kyuhyun glanced at him, and was surprised to see his brows furrowed. "Oi, Siwon _hyung_."  
  
The change in tone seemed to startle the other into responding. "What do you know about the _Revenge_?" he asked, frowning.  
  
Kyuhyun felt his eyebrows creeping up on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but Hankyung beat him to it. "We're going after _that_?" Hankyung asked in disbelief. Kyuhyun stared in agreement with their navigator.  
  
He knew the _Revenge_ , of course, everyone did. Had grown up being told by nursemaids that bad children were taken away by the _Revenge_ , and more than one children's game had been based off the infamous ship, at least until they grew old enough to understand the reality of its pillaging. It had dropped off the charts for a few years, but had resurfaced recently, flying again as one of the most notorious ships on the Navy's watch. But with twice the gun power of the _Medea_ and its impossible size and speed, Kyuhyun knew without a doubt that they were no match for the pirate ship. The Navy had lost more than one ship against the _Revenge_ , some larger than the _Medea_ —they didn't stand a chance in a fire fight, though he would be glad to see it out of the skies for once and for all.  
  
“It's impossible,” he said flatly. “You know it is.”  
  
"Orders are orders," Siwon said wryly, nodding at Kyuhyun. "And you didn't hear that from me."  
  
  
-  
  
  
Zhou Mi coughed, the smoke from below stinging at his eyes. He clambered hand over hand to the crow's nest, a point situated high enough above all the rigging and wings to give a clear view on all sides. "How does it look?" he called out, before swinging himself under the railing.  
  
"Not sure," was the answer. Henry pursed his lips as he peered through the scope, scanning the horizon for movement. "No sign of the Navy yet, but I'm more worried that we lost sight of the _Revenge_."  
  
"Hm," was Zhou Mi's response as he tried to make sense of shape through the smoke. The _Spitfire_ was cruising slowly at the moment, contrary to its name. The town below was engulfed in flames, monument to the _Revenge_ having passed through this area not too long ago. He wasn't surprised that the _Revenge_ itself was nowhere in sight. They were flying just low enough that Zhou Mi could hear the screams for help; the line of his jaw tightened as he tried to block them out.  
  
" _Ge_ ," Henry prompted him in their mother tongue. " _What do you think?_ " He stumbled over the few words of Western, the sounds still clumsy on his tongue at the language switch.  
  
" _Don't worry_ ," Zhou Mi replied, his Western far more fluent, the language he had grown up speaking. "Just keep an eye out for any ships - we'll call you if we need you." Zhou Mi tapped at the opening of the pipe in reminder; it ran through the centre mast and served as a quick and convenient communication channel to and from the crow's next.  
  
"Sure," Henry acquiesced, and Zhou Mi nodded in approval before making the descent back to the deck.  
  
The captain was waiting for him below. "How does it look?" he asked, even before Zhou Mi dropped down lightly.  
  
"No change," Zhou Mi answered, eyes straying distractedly to the flames below. "No _Revenge_ , no Navy."  
  
The captain followed his gaze, nodding in understanding. "They give pirates a bad name," he joked lightly, before his manner turned serious. "You want to dock," he said.  
  
Zhou Mi started at the accurate assessment, before shrugging with a slight smile. "Maybe," he said.  
  
"I know you too well, Mi. Third town in as many days, is it?" The captain sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Two days. Some of the crew share your sentiments, and can't say I approve of the Revenge's methods either. Won't hurt for us to dock and run some repairs. The _Spitfire_ 's been in need of a full-out tune-up since, whatever that Navy ship was. Two days, Mi, and then we're flying with or without you."  
  
Zhou Mi's mouth dropped open for the briefest moment before breaking into a grin. "Thank you!" He barely stopped to give a brief bow before dashing off to relay the detour to the crew.  
  
"Maybe you shouldn't," Zhou Mi said hesitantly when Henry showed up with their landing party, grim faced and determined. “I'm sure the ship could—”  
  
"I'm not a kid, _ge_ ," Henry interrupted, cutting off Zhou Mi's reasoning.  
  
Zhou Mi thought of burnt limbs and scarred flesh, swallowed, and nodded.  
  
They worked their way in from the edge of the town, covering their faces with kerchiefs to guard against the smoke. The crew fanned out with a meeting time and place agreed on, until only Henry was striding down progressively ruined streets determinedly with him. Zhou Mi glanced at him every now and then, almost surprised at how well the boy was taking it all. Although, Zhou Mi mused, dead bodies were something he'd be used to by now.  
  
On the other hand, this he would never grow used to. He didn't want to. Zhou Mi swallowed his nausea, and ran forward, pushing all other thoughts to the back of his mind. He didn't look to see whether Henry followed.  
  
"Why?" Henry finally asked when Zhou Mi pulled him aside as night was falling and the boy looked ready to collapse, the past hours a blur of smoke and destruction. A battered stuffed toy sat just within view; he pushed the memory it brought out of his mind, but the image of a hand that was far too small trapped under the burnt remains of a house stuck.  
  
Zhou Mi laughed ruefully, handing Henry a clean kerchief to wipe his face with. "Why? Because that's what pirates do."  
  
Henry opened his mouth to protest, and then shut it again just as quickly. He let his head fall against the wall with a tired thunk, his face drawn and looking far older than his age under the grime. “Because pirates are evil,” he said simply. “Right?”  
  
"Maybe," Zhou Mi said. He patted Henry on the shoulder, pushed him until he was lying down. " _Sleep a bit. If you don't rest, you won't be any use tomorrow_ ," he added in Western.  
  
Henry frowned at this. " _Ge_ ," he whined. "You know my Western's still no good if you speak so fast."  
  
Zhou Mi grinned, poking Henry's cheek. "Sleep," he said, switching back to Common this time.  
  
" _You aren't sleeping?_ " Henry's Western was carefully enunciated, his eyes open wide glinting in the faint flickering light of the few fires that still burned, the effort required to put them out having been directed elsewhere.  
  
" _I am_ ," Zhou Mi reassured him, leaning back against what had been the wall of a house.  
  
" _I.._ _._ " Henry trailed off, a slight shake of his head. "Never mind. You get some rest too, _ge_."  
  
"Don't worry about me," he reassured. “I can take care of myself.”  
  
Henry was a good kid. They'd picked him up a few months ago, a cabin boy on some ship or other with a taste for adventure and a hand at mechs. Zhou Mi had been delighted when he'd discovered that Henry's background was Western, ignoring Henry's protests that he was "more Common than anything" and that he could barely understand the language, let alone speak it. "But I want to learn," he'd added, and Zhou Mi's remaining reservations of taking him on board had crumbled right there under Henry's eyes, even if he thought Henry could do far better than piracy.  
  
Especially this sort of piracy, Zhou Mi thought disgustedly. The _Revenge_ were known for their methods, their brutality. Could send a shudder through even some pirates, let alone regular citizens. Pillage and rape was what they were known for. Destruction. Rampaging, burning what they couldn't take. Killing for the sake of killing.  
  
His eyes drifted shut as he lost himself in thought. Henry's head fell heavily against his shoulder as the boy finally gave in to exhaustion. The _Revenge_ had been a ruthless ship since its conception, a monster of the skies. The Navy had made a few earnest attempts to capture it, but it was so long ago that Zhou Mi could only remember it vaguely, the sort of childhood memory that amounted to little more than tales told only in Western overheard in crowded bars. They hadn't tried since, but Zhou Mi didn't think they could ignore it much longer, if the _Revenge_ had gotten so bold as to attack three land towns in as many days.  
  
His fists were clenched again - slowly, he unclenched them. He could never forgive them.  
  
Never.  
  
  
  
-  
  
  
  
_It's unforgivable,_ Siwon had said. The words echoed in Kyuhyun's mind. He grunted, shifting the poles of the makeshift stretcher in his grip. Leading by example his ass. This hadn't been in the job description.  
  
"Thank you so much for helping," the person carrying the other end of the stretcher was saying, painfully earnest.  
  
Kyuhyun schooled his features carefully before he responded, words well practiced even if the delivery was drawled more than strictly necessary. "It's the honour and duty of the Navy to assist the people where we can." There was a vague familiarity in the other's features that Kyuhyun couldn't quite place.  
  
"No, no, but even so - oh, Kuixian!" The man stopped walking briefly, a flash of discomfort passing across his face before being replaced with an unbelievably bright smile. "Ah—I mean, Lieutenant! This is a coincidence, isn't it?"  
  
_Kuixian_? Kyuhyun frowned. "You're Western," he said blankly.  
  
The other man laughed uneasily. "Let's talk about this later," he said, nodding down at the man they were both carrying.  
  
Kyuhyun's frown only grew deeper.  
  
Later was when they were both ushered into a small inn that had escaped mostly unscathed, catching a breather at one of the tables scattered throughout the room. "We met last week," the Western man said quietly, "I don't know if you remember."  
  
_I wouldn't remember a Westerner_ was on the tip of his tongue, but there was a look in the man's eyes that stopped it from escaping. "I don't," he said instead.  
  
The man smiled wryly. "After the execution."  
  
Kyuhyun grunted an affirmative, eyes narrowed as he stared. To the Westerner's credit, he didn't flinch, and only smiled wider. He would've been attractive, if it weren't for the nose—or despite the nose. The deja vu jogged his memory inadvertently. "At the bar. The merchant." The one who could read rank. Kyuhyun crossed his arms across his chest, watching the man carefully. He didn't like it. He'd never heard of an honest Westerner, and they were the last ones who would have honest dealings with the Navy. _Hankyung_ , his mind supplied helpfully, but he pushed it away. Rumours were just that: rumours.  
  
But back to the Westerner. There was a flicker of hesitation, and then a careful laugh. "So you do remember. I wasn't sure if you did. You don't have to look at me like that you know. I was born here, in Central, the same as you. I'm not a bad person. Promise."  
  
Kyuhyun raised an eyebrow at that. "You're barbarians," he said bluntly. "Ignorant, backwards. Crooks, whores, _pirates_." Tact had never been his strong suit, even in situations that called for it. This situation wasn't by a stretch. Even if the man tried something funny, Kyuhyun was the one in the Navy, and he was the one with the guns. He could just plead self-defence.  
  
The man twitched a little. "But I'm not a bad person," he said, a thousand-watt smile suddenly lighting up his face.  
  
Kyuhyun felt a little blinded. "But you were hiding it," he accused. _Does that face look like someone that could do something bad?_ , some inner voice asked. _No one can smile like that and be horrible_. Kyuhyun frowned.  
  
The man laughed. "I'm Zhou Mi, by the way. Since the cat's out of the bag anyway. I mean, normally I would have introduced myself as Joomyuk, but there isn't really a point to that now, is there? I could though, if it would make you feel more comfortable. Anyway, I've picked up a few words of Old Central here and there, so maybe you could pretend I'm just a regular person with no real background?"  
  
"Zhou Mi." Kyuhyun tried the sounds on his tongue. They felt different. Strange. "Are you from here?" he asked. He wasn't curious about him; he just wanted to know. Know if he should extend some sort of sympathy or not. The pirates had been thorough after all, barbarians as they were.  
  
"No," was the response, with a quick shake of his head. "Our ship passed by, and we couldn't just fly past and do nothing. Oh, we didn't leave it unmanned, so that's not a problem. They're just flying out to restock, and they're swinging back to pick us up in a while."  
  
Kyuhyun pursed his lips. "Suspicious."  
  
"Am I?" The man laughed. "What about you? You keep showing up in places no one would expect."  
  
"Orders." Kyuhyun let out a bark of laughter. "Leading by example. Good for morale."  
  
The Westerner placed his hand lightly on Kyuhyun's arm; he drew away sharply at the touch. A flash of hurt passed across Zhou Mi's face. "I'm glad you're here," Zhou Mi said anyway, recovering his poise in remarkable time. "I think... this town needs all the help it can get."  
  
"The regular Navy will step in," Kyuhyun said stiffly. "The _Medea_ 's presence is unnecessary."  
  
"No, it's not," Zhou Mi insisted. "Besides, it brought you."  
  
Kyuhyun's mind blanked. "What."  
  
Zhou Mi's words seemed to have caught up to his brain, a briefly appalled expression flaring to life before it was smothered in a clumsy veil of embarrassment. "No, nothing. Oh, I have to go." Kyuhyun followed Zhou Mi's glance, and saw someone waving at them. "I'll leave this place to you," he said with a quick bow, before darting off. "Maybe we'll see each other again!"  
  
Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. "No we won't," he said to himself. What were the chances of that? Although, he had to admit, for a Westerner, Zhou Mi - Joomyuk? - wasn't bad. He must be going soft. Kyuhyun sighed, and headed off to find Hankyung.  
  
  
  
-  
  
  
  
" _Ge_ , who was that?"  
  
Zhou Mi glanced over his shoulder. Kuixian had already left. "Someone," he answered Henry, patting him on the shoulder.  
  
Henry frowned. "He was wearing a uniform," he pointed out. "Navy."  
  
Zhou Mi smiled; he didn't think they wouldn't notice, and Henry was for more perceptive than he looked. "He's not all bad. Maybe a little young, but I don't think he means any harm."  
  
"You never think anyone means any harm." Henry sighed, and started walking out towards the edge of town. "You're too trusting of everyone. It's, how do you say that, _angel_?"  
  
" _Naive_?" Zhou Mi corrected. "I like to give people a chance if they deserve it. That's different."  
  
"Not really." Henry didn't sound satisfied, but didn't argue further. "Be careful though, one of these days..."  
  
Zhou Mi shrugged and changed the topic. "Is everyone waiting?"  
  
Henry nodded. "They're there. Someone said they saw you talking to a guy in a uniform, and sent me to get you since they figured I'd be the least likely to accidentally kill him or something. It didn't seem like you wanted him dead."  
  
Zhou Mi winced at how true that was. The _Spitfire_ 's crew lived up to its name as much as the ship itself did. They were his family, but no one would deny that they were a feisty bunch. "No, I don't want him dead," he agreed. "Killing is a last resort."  
  
"It's a useful resort." Henry spoke softly, but when Zhou Mi glanced at him, his eyes were strangely sharp. "Some people deserve to die."  
  
Zhou Mi's lips pressed into a thin line. He nodded sharply, chin jerking down and up. "Some people deserve to die," he repeated slowly. Some did.  
  
But Kuixian was not one of them.  
  
Zhou Mi managed to hold his silence for a total of five and a half days, before asking the captain if they could talk about something in his cabin. In private.  
  
"We can't do nothing," Zhou Mi insisted.  
  
The captain gave him a level look. "Zhou Mi," he said firmly, and then sighed. "This isn't like you."  
  
Zhou Mi started, brows furrowing. "Then what would be like me?" he asked. The edge of the table cut into his palms as he leaned forward, gripping the underside with his fingers. A rare burst of anger had exploded in the region of his chest before he'd been able to stifle it completely, and here he was in the captain's room, all sharp words and bold eyes. No, the captain was right, this wasn't like him. But the constriction in his throat - that wasn't like him either.  
  
"You would be rational. Calm. We don't have the firepower, Mi. The _Spitfire_ 's a good girl, she's fast, agile. But we can't take on the _Revenge_."  
  
Which was true. Of course. "We can't just let them go like this. The _Revenge_ —they're a blemish to pirates!" But that was also true.  
  
The captain laughed hollowly. "Listen to yourself, Mi. Us pirates ain't have a name to blemish in the first place. No, I won't do it. Even if I wanted to, the crew won't."  
  
"The crew will." Zhou Mi surprised himself with the forcefulness of his words.  
  
The captain stood abruptly, the usual kind look reserved for his young charge melting away completely. "Watch yourself, boy. I'm still the captain here, and I say the crew won't." Zhou Mi flinched inwardly, but didn't falter.  
  
He straightened, crossing his arms across his chest. His palms were sweaty, hands clenched into fists. A lump rose into his throat as he stared at the man he would've followed to the ends of the earth. Someone had to teach _Revenge_ the meaning of its own name. And Zhou Mi wasn't going to leave it to the Navy.  
  
  
-  
  
  
Henry glanced over his shoulder for the hundredth time since he'd stationed himself in the middle of the deck, surrounded by assorted mechanical parts and a half assembled gun. From the cabin, he could faintly hear the voices of the Captain and First Mate of the _Spitfire_ raised in argument, but not well enough to discern individual words. There'd been more than one stilted discussion in the days since they'd last seen the _Revenge_ , the uneasiness more on Zhou Mi's part, and Henry couldn't say that he was too surprised.  
  
"Talk about something different, huh." Donghae handed Henry the bearing he'd just finished polishing.  
  
"What do you mean?" Henry asked. He feigned ignorance as he accepted the well-oiled piece, fiddling with the mounting.  
  
Donghae stared at him hard, and Henry struggled not to squirm under the look, concentrating instead on the intricate mechanisms of the pivot instead. "When was the last time you heard Zhou Mi argue with the cap'n?"  
  
Henry shrugged, held out his hand for the next piece. "I haven't been here that long," he said, dodging the question. Never, obviously.  
  
"You're not alone, you know. The rest of the crew's been uneasy too. Zhou Mi's not really one to argue," Donghae remarked, passing over a long piece of metal.  
  
"It's strange," Henry agreed. He squinted as he aligned the piston, squeezing it into place. If he was right, the new guns should have an extra range of at least thirty percent, effectively increasing power by fifty percent at close range. They'd take a little more maintenance, but he could spare the time. In a tight squeeze, he was pretty sure they'd be able to pierce even the Navy's chrolybdinum-clad warships. Downside was they were tricky to set up so repeated fire was a no-go, but that was the trade-off for the extra punch. Something poked him in the stomach, and he glanced at Donghae, blinking slightly. "Hm?"  
  
"Thinking?"  
  
"Just about the gun. Pass the B30?"  
  
Donghae made a show of sweeping his gaze across the assorted tools, then stared at him blankly. "Which?"  
  
Right. There was a reason Donghae just blew things up, and Henry was the one who built them. "Um. Third to the left."  
  
"Some of the crew, they figure it's about the _Revenge_ ," Donghae said casually as he handed him the wrench. "Just the timing of the thing, you know."  
  
Henry gave a non-committal grunt, tightening the mount into place. The _Revenge_ , huh. It wasn't just Zhou Mi ge, if it was about the _Revenge_. Another sharp poke which he swatted away absentmindedly. "What is it?"  
  
"You went quiet," Donghae pointed out. "Stopped working. What's on your mind?"  
  
"It's nothing," Henry said with a smile. "Anyway, that's done. Enjoy your new gun, _hyung_!" He grinned, cheekily tagging on the Old Central equivalent for _ge_.  
  
Donghae grinned back, clapping Henry on the back. "Awesome, thanks! I knew keeping you around would be a good idea, you brat."  
  
"Hey, I'm not—Zhou Mi ge!" Henry spotted the older man walking up the stairs from the cabin, a wan smile on his face. "What happened?" he asked, running up to him, vaguely aware that Donghae followed at a more leisurely pace.  
  
"It's nothing to worry about," Zhou Mi reassured him. Henry looked at him disbelievingly. "Really! We were just working some things out."  
  
Henry grunted when a heavy weight suddenly latched onto his shoulders. " _Donghae_ ," he hissed, elbowing the man weakly.  
  
"He said it was nothing to worry about," Donghae said, not letting go. "Right, Seasoning?"  
  
Zhou Mi groaned, swatting lightly at Donghae. "Since when have you started calling me that too?" he complained. "And it's nothing to worry about. Just work hard, and it'll be alright."  
  
"Seasoning?" Henry questioned as he watched Zhou Mi walk away, Donghae still clinging to his back.  
  
Donghae shrugged, shifting with the movement. "Something an old acquaintance calls him. Maybe you'll get to meet him soon." He paused, finally letting go of Henry's shoulders and taking a step back. "Although, I'm not sure if you want to."  
  
"How bad could he be?" Henry mused, massaging the crick in his back. Donghae just laughed.  
  
A signal bell from the crow's nest yanked all their attentions upward to where the scout was gesturing towards the distance. Henry ran to the railing, peering into the distance. The shape of a ship hovered there, and Henry squinted, trying to make out the markings. “ _Medea_ ,” Donghae supplied, peering through a spyglass. “Here.”  
  
Henry took the proffered spyglass with a thanks, trying to place where he'd heard the name before. “We've run into them,” he realised. Donghae hummed in agreement beside him. He peered through the spyglass, sweeping it across the deck of the other ship, each uniformed body blending into the next. Henry did a double take, frowning even as his mouth formed a surprised 'o'. His mind worked furiously, even as he swiveled around, eyes searching for Zhou Mi. “What's up?” Donghae wanted to know.  
  
“No, it's, Zhou Mi ge, um, never mind,” Henry said with a shake of his head. Donghae was looking at him curiously, and Henry smiled nervously. “I'll, um, go see what he's—what we're doing.”  
  
Zhou Mi was deep in conversation with the captain at the controls. “It's not worth it,” he was saying.  
  
Zhou Mi's brows were furrowed in the way they tended to be when he was being more serious than he thought he was being. The captain didn't seem to have noticed, his own eyes focused on the controls. He seemed to be considering Zhou Mi's words, nodding, but a frown was etched deeply on his face. “I don't know Mi, they seem to be tailing us pretty hard.”  
  
“Um, excuse me, Captain?” Henry spoke up hesitantly, swallowing hard when he realised both of the top two in the chain of command were looking at him. But then he met Zhou Mi's eyes, and forged on recklessly. “I just finished with the new guns. We could probably scare them off with the range. It's, uh, just a suggestion—”  
  
“Wouldn't that work?” Zhou Mi cut in. Henry grinned at the grateful look Zhou Mi shot him. So his hunch had been right. There was more to the guy than just being 'someone'. But Henry wasn't sure if he wanted the rest of his hunch to be right. The guy was Navy after all—and he wasn't sure if Zhou Mi ge had quite figured it out yet. But only if his hunch was right. If it wasn't, then there was nothing to figure out—except, this time, Henry didn't think his hunch was wrong.  
  
When the _Spitfire_ managed to stretch the distance between them and a no doubt frustrated _Medea_ and Zhou Mi pulled him into a good-natured hug, Henry really didn't think his hunch was wrong.  
  
  
  
-  
  
  
His fourth straight hour of the day poring over old strategy books in the lounge room, Kyuhyun shut the one he was holding in a plume of dust and frustration. “This is still insane,” he muttered, dragging his hand across his eyes. He was tired, crabby, and to make things worse, this one particular pirate ship they had run into before had managed to escape unscathed again. Failure didn't sit well with Kyuhyun, and he knew it. Nor were plans for the _Revenge_ showing any promise at all. "The only way we'd find them is if they looked for us. Which, apparently, never turns out well."  
  
"Don't be so pessimistic," Siwon urged. "You won't know until you've tried."  
  
Kyuhyun looked up and raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I know you'll die if you jump from this height without trying it," he said blandly.  
  
"Well yes, but that's different. I'm sure you'll come up with something, Lieutenant."  
  
"We're the only ones here, _hyung_ ," Kyuhyun said pointedly, frowning at the title. "And if you're trying to appeal to my sense of patriotic duty, it's not working."  
  
Siwon shrugged, and pushed a book across the table. Kyuhyun eyed it doubtfully, flipping it so the spine was facing him. " _Thirty Six Strategems_?" he asked dubiously. "I read this when I was a kid."  
  
"Maybe you'll find something if you read it again," Siwon suggested. He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You're supposed to be brilliant, Kyuhyun. You're the reason why the _Medea_ 's been assigned to the _Revenge_ in the first place."  
  
Kyuhyun grunted, reluctantly pulling the book towards him. "I know," he said shortly. "That doesn't change the fact the _Medea_ doesn't have a stone's chance to fly of pulling this off. If I was on a different ship..."  
  
It was Siwon's turn to raise an eyebrow. And Siwon had very intimidating eyebrows. "There's also a reason you're with the _Medea_ ," he pointed out. "Your last commander was ready to toss you overboard."  
  
"He was a toady old fool," Kyuhyun grumbled, returning to the pages. "Didn't know what was good for the ship if it hit him in the face." Siwon winced at the description, but didn't disagree.  
  
Kyuhyun sighed, dragging a hand wearily across his face. “Look, I can't pull things out of thin air. I'm not giving up—I'm just – never mind. I'm going to sort through my things before we dock.” He scraped his chair back as he stood, heading for the door.  
  
As a perfunctory gesture, Kyuhyun did drop by his room, nosing around the few belongings he bothered to keep around. As an afterthought, he dropped his own copy of _Thirty Six Strategems_ into his bag, before wandering above deck.  
  
The crew was preparing to dock, readying the lines that would reel them in. As captain, Siwon oversaw the proceedings, but Kyuhyun had learned a long time ago that it would be the Navigator's skill that would bring them in safely. Hankyung was fiddling with the controls, making it look far more effortless than it seemed. Kyuhyun had tried piloting a smaller ship once long ago, a pleasure craft really, and he would've smashed the entire craft if it hadn't been for some timely intervention.  
  
Hankyung caught him watching, and nodded to him. Kyuhyun took it as a cue to walk closer, examining the controls of the ship idly. "Any plans for shore leave?" Hankyung asked conversationally, dipping the nose of the _Medea_ down fractionally.  
  
"Not really." Kyuhyun shrugged, feeling the deck tilt under his feet. He'd put off thinking about it, until he had to. He preferred being in the uncertain safety of the air than the cloistering feeling of being grounded. “Visit my parents, I guess.” For the shortest period of time possible.  
  
“Home is nice,” Hankyung remarked, swinging the _Medea_ around into a slow arc.  
  
Kyuhyun snorted. “Sure, if having every half eligible female within marrying age thrown in your face is 'nice'. It seems my father wants to ensure the continuation Cho line.”  
  
"Is that what you want?" Hankyung asked, returning his concentration to the operation of the _Medea_.  
  
"What I want is the _Revenge_ to shipwreck midair over the middle of the ocean, but that's not happening anytime soon," Kyuhyun said with a dry laugh.  
  
Hankyung nodded in agreement, and didn't press the matter further, absorbed as he was in his task. The wings of the _Medea_ creaked slightly as they swung through an updraft, tilting slightly to accommodate for the lift while maintaining the downwards descent. "Hankyung," Kyuhyun said slowly, wondering where he was going with this himself. "As a hypothetical question. Purely hypothetical. What's your take on the West?"  
  
It was only Hankyung's experience that kept the ship on course, Kyuhyun thought, when the older man snapped about to give him a searching look. Kyuhyun held the gaze without flinching, knowing he’d broached what was an otherwise taboo topic. "Why do you want to know?" Hankyung asked warily, direction his attention back to the descent.  
  
"Hypothetical reasons," Kyuhyun said as casually as he could.  
  
"It's not a bad place," Hankyung said. "There's just bad blood."  
  
"The people?"  
  
Hankyung shook his head. "No, with Central."  
  
"Well deserved," Kyuhyun remarked. "They were barbarians during the war."  
  
"The Central troops did the same," Hankyung said quietly. "But they called it ethnic cleansing."  
  
"Whose side are you even on?"  
  
Hankyung smiled at him wryly. "You asked for my opinion. But Kyuhyun," and here, Kyuhyun started at the use of his name, "just remember that people are people, no matter if they're Old Central, Common, Western, or Southern."  
  
Kyuhyun stared at him. "Obviously," he said. "What else would they be, birds?"  
  
Hankyung snorted, steering the _Medea_ into a tight hover as ground crew hooked the _Medea_ into place. "It's something people forget too often," was all he would say on the matter. "Ask Siwon about it, sometime."  
  
" _Siwon_?" Kyuhyun asked disbelievingly. Since when had they been on a first name basis?  
  
"Just go," Hankyung said with a knowing grin. “You're distracting me here.”  
  
Kyuhyun shrugged, and made himself scarce.  
  
Several hours later, Kyuhyun strode down the streets of the capital, uncomfortably conscious of his Navy uniform. The visit with his parents had gone as well as could have been expected, which was not well at all. He swore lightly under his breath when he realised that he was walking with no real destination in mind, and only a single-minded determination to be away from the walls he had grown up in. He owned a small apartment in the city, but it was bare and under-stocked, and more importantly, empty.  
  
So he turned his steps towards the only other place in the capital he really knew. Despite what people said, Cho Kyuhyun was not without friends. He just didn't have too many of them. By the time he arrived at the door, the time was late and the place was all but deserted. "Sorry, we're just about to—oh, Kyuhyun! I didn't realise you were in town."  
  
"Docked earlier today," Kyuhyun said, shutting the door behind him. "Thought I'd drop by."  
  
He'd met Sungmin when they'd both been enrolled in the Junior Academy, but while Kyuhyun had gone on for further training, Sungmin had dropped out deciding that a Navy career wasn't for him, taking over one of the family inns instead. Kyuhyun had been a bit miffed at first, suddenly back to knowing no one again, but realised that the benefits of having a place to crash in the capital that wasn't either with his parents or at the Academy dorms far outweighed the downsides of Sungmin leaving.  
  
"We're just closing up down here," Sungmin said, ushering Kyuhyun to a table, "so just give me a moment. Something to drink?"  
  
"I'll trust your taste," Kyuhyun said, nodding at the counter where the vintages were stored. Sungmin nodded, returning with a glass and a bottle before disappearing again, leaving Kyuhyun to survey the all but empty room. A few clusters of people here and there slowly got up to leave, taking their cue from the late hours. A man in a corner by himself caught Kyuhyun's eye, as he realised with a start that he looked familiar. Against his better judgement, he pushed his own chair back and walked across the room.  
  
"Zhou Mi," he said, enunciating the syllables slowly. He was rewarded with a surprised upward glance, before being greeted with a familiarly bright smile.  
  
"Lieutenant!" Zhou Mi said. "You remembered my name."  
  
"Third time's the charm," Kyuhyun agreed. "And it's Kyuhyun."  
  
"Yes, but it seems strange to call you that when you're dressed like this," Zhou Mi said, nodding at Kyuhyun's Navy uniform, well embellished with all the necessary knots and blazes and who knew what else. Kyuhyun picked at a sleeve distastefully, and couldn't disagree. “Why don't you sit down and join me? If you're not waiting for someone, I mean.”  
  
Kyuhyun hesitated, Zhou Mi looking at him expectantly. “I'm not,” he said eventually. Zhou Mi beamed. Kyuhyun found himself smiling back, before forcing it off his face as he slid into the seat opposite of the other man.  
  
"I didn't think I would actually see you again," Zhou Mi said. He poured Kyuhyun a glass of whatever it was he was drinking, pushing it across the table. Kyuhyun took it with a nod, the liquor a mild burn at the back of his throat as he sipped at it. "It didn't seem like you wanted to, after all, and Central isn't exactly a small place. Of course, I've heard the West is much larger, although I've never been there. I suppose I should be thankful that Central isn't, or we might never have run into each other again. Were you meeting someone important, by the way?" Zhou Mi nodded at his uniform.  
  
"Not really.” Kyuhyun didn't elaborate. His parents' opinion of themselves—and maybe society at large—was not his.  
  
His short answer didn't seem to discourage Zhou Mi, who merely smiled at him. "What brings you here? No executions today," he said lightly.  
  
Kyuhyun frowned at the reminder. "Shore leave for a week," he said. "I thought I'd visit Sungmin."  
  
"You know Sungmin?" Kyuhyun could've sworn he saw an odd resemblance of a frown pass across the other man's face, but it was gone so quickly that he might as well have imagined it.  
  
"We met at the Junior Academy," he explained. "What about you?"  
  
"We've known each other for a while,” Zhou Mi said vaguely. “I usually stay here when we... restock.”  
  
If Kyuhyun found the hesitation strange, he didn't say anything. Instead, he picked up his drink again, relishing the way it slid down his throat. Stronger than his usual drink of choice, but Kyuhyun felt like he deserved something stronger tonight. “Sungmin lets me stay here from time to time.”  
  
Zhou Mi blinked. “Oh. You seemed like the sort who lived in the capital—”  
  
“I do.” Kyuhyun shrugged. “Always have.”  
  
“Then...” Zhou Mi frowned in consideration.  
  
Kyuhyun laughed bitterly, draining the glass. “I don't feel like dealing with my parents' matchmaking,” he explained simply.  
  
“Why, do you have someone in mind already?” Zhou Mi teased, refilling Kyuhyun's glass.  
  
“What, no.” Kyuhyun made a face. He toyed with his glass, wondering if this had been a bad idea after all, a heady warmth already spreading through his limbs while a fuzzy feeling sat somewhere at the base of his chest. “I'm just not interested.”  
  
“In girls?”  
  
“Who else,” Kyuhyun grumbled.  
  
“I think,” Zhou Mi said slowly, “you just have to find the right person. To be interested, I mean. Someone you want to spend the rest of your life with—it sounds nice, doesn't it?”  
  
“It sounds boring,” Kyuhyun pointed out.  
  
“Does not!” Zhou Mi protested. “You just need to take the time to find her.”  
  
Kyuhyun shrugged. “I'm a Navy officer. I don't have the time.”  
  
“Other Navy officers do—what's so good about the Navy anyway?”  
  
He shrugged again, leaning back against the chair. “Something about honour and protecting people and patriotic duty, I suppose.” And family expectations, and a way to escape those same expectations, but this he did not add. He hadn't given it much thought at first, climbing the Academy ladders easily—actually, he'd never given it any thought. The choice had been made for him at the start, and he'd seen no reason to disagree. And it wasn't like he particularly disliked it.  
  
Kyuhyun shifted uneasily when he realised Zhou Mi was watching him, probably waiting for him to expand on his answer. “It's a job. What about you?”  
  
A flicker of a frown passed across Zhou Mi's smile before it was replaced by a smile—again, Kyuhyun noticed. “No real reason,” Zhou Mi said.  
  
“You never answered what you're doing here.”  
  
“Didn't I? Did you ask? Just restocking.” Zhou Mi sighed and leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs out under the table. "I guess I needed some space, time away from the crew."  
  
Kyuhyun laughed. "You?"  
  
"You don't even know me!" Zhou Mi frowned. "And it's good to see different people sometimes."  
  
"People are people," Kyuhyun said offhandedly.  
  
"Has anyone ever told you that you're not very charming?"  
  
"Lots. You included."  
  
Zhou Mi looked affronted. "I didn't say that! Besides, I think you're rather charming. In a strange way. And you look nice."  
  
"Well you look nice too," Kyuhyun said without thinking.  
  
Zhou Mi beamed. "Thank you! I'm glad you think so."  
  
"Oh, you two know each other?" Sungmin came up to their corner, the rest of the room completely empty. A definite frown passed across his face, before he shrugged.  
  
"We've met," Kyuhyun said. He'd have to ask about that later.  
  
"A few times," Zhou Mi added.  
  
"The world's a small place," Sungmin said with a shrug. "Usual room's empty, Kyuhyun, if you want to head up. Mi—"  
  
"It's alright," Zhou Mi cut in hastily. "We can talk in the morning."  
  
Sungmin sighed. "Don't do anything stupid," he said, and Kyuhyun wondered what he was talking about.  
  
In hindsight, maybe they were both a little tipsy, one more than the other. (Or maybe it was just a general lapse of judgment). Maybe Kyuhyun stopped, and ran the conversation through his head again, and realised that he'd said "you look nice," and said it aloud, and then he said it aloud again. (And maybe when he said it the second time, he meant it). Maybe Zhou Mi nearly bumped into him, nearly knocked them both over, and said "Kuixian!" as if he'd done something wrong. And maybe Kyuhyun had turned, because that wasn't a name he was used to hearing, but he wanted to say that it didn't sound so bad anyway.  
  
“You know, you're not bad for a Westerner at all,” Kyuhyun said instead, their faces inches from each other. He took a step back.  
  
“Am I?” Zhou Mi smiled—a little sadly, and Kyuhyun wondered if he'd said something wrong. “Do you know many Westerners?”  
  
“Apart from you? Just one. Maybe.”  
  
“That's not much comparison then,” Zhou Mi commented. “But in that case, I guess I can't really worsen your opinion of us.”  
  
Zhou Mi tugged him by the hand into a room, Kyuhyun following not altogether unwillingly. Nor did he protest when he realised that the concept of personal space had disappeared yet again. “I...” Zhou Mi said slowly, before shaking his head. He drew away, worrying at his lower lip, and (with a definite lapse of judgment), Kyuhyun pulled him back. The surprised look on Zhou Mi's face was worth it, he decided, and Kyuhyun grinned.  
  
He didn't protest when he realised there was a hand in his hair that wasn't his, or that his own hands were on shoulders that weren't his. Zhou Mi leaned forward again, the space between them vanishing in a matter of seconds, until another set of lips were pressed softly against his, noses clashing awkwardly.  
  
It was nothing like the time he'd kissed a girl back when he was still at the Junior Academy, shyly and with fumbling fingers, Sungmin walking in on them cutting anything they may have tried short. A low hum in the back of his throat as Kyuhyun tilted his face upwards, Zhou Mi's tongue flickering experimentally against his, a dancing pressure against his lower lip. It tasted of alcohol, and Kyuhyun couldn't tell if it was his or his, but it wasn't altogether unpleasant, and Kyuhyun—  
  
Kyuhyun shoved Zhou Mi away, a horrified expression on his face. "Kuixian?" he heard, as he opened the door and bolted out of the room.  
  
_Don't do anything stupid_ , Sungmin had said. Kyuhyun groaned, locked the door behind him, and spent just long enough to undo all the fastenings of the uniform and toss it aside before throwing himself into bed, burying his face in a pillow.

-

Zhou Mi woke with a blinding headache, and a far too clear recollection of the events from the night before.  
  
_Don't do anything stupid_ , Sungmin had said. Too late for that, Zhou Mi thought. There was a knock at the door—it must have been what woke him up in the first place. "Zhou Mi?" Sungmin's voice called through the door.  
  
"Come in," he called back, wincing at the way his own voice grated at his nerves. The lock clicked open, and Sungmin stepped through the doorway, shutting the door behind him. Zhou Mi struggled into a sitting position, massaging his temples. He hadn't drunk so much in a while.  
  
"I'll get you some coffee," Sungmin offered automatically, and then: "Does Kyuhyun know?"  
  
Zhou Mi smiled wanly, shaking his head—he instantly regretted it when the movement sent a fresh wave of spikes against the inside of his skull. "No," he said.  
  
"Are you going to tell him?" Sungmin asked.  
  
"No," Zhou Mi said, keeping his head still this time.  
  
Sungmin sighed, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "Don't hurt him," he said bluntly. "Now about last night, before we were interrupted. Or maybe coffee first?"  
  
"Yes please," Zhou Mi agreed, sounding little less miserable than he felt, despite his attempts at cheerfulness. It wasn't a good time for cheerfulness. He flopped back down on the bed and shut his eyes as Sungmin left the room. It was because Kyuhyun showing up had been unexpected, he decided. He'd been off his guard. And the uniform, as much as Zhou Mi didn't like the Navy, had looked good on him. Yes, that was it. He'd just stay away from him for a little while, and it'd be alright again. Besides, if things worked out, he would be very busy soon. _You might run into him even more_ , a voice nagged him. Zhou Mi pushed it weakly away. _Third time's the charm_ , Kyuhyun had said, hadn't he? Zhou Mi didn't have the heart to tell him it was actually the fifth.  
  
Zhou Mi sat up at the sound of the door opening again, gratefully cradling the mug of coffee to his chest. "Thank you," he said, sipping at the hot beverage.  
  
"No problem," Sungmin said. "So I asked around, about what you...asked." He spoke cautiously, glancing at the door. Zhou Mi nodded; it would be a bad idea if the wrong person heard this discussion. He leaned forward, eager to hear what Sungmin had to say. "I found a handful. One of them's an Academy dropout, I didn't ask about the reason, but he has a good head on his shoulders. They're all good kids, though."  
  
"Kids?" Zhou Mi asked hesitantly.  
  
Sungmin shrugged. "That shouldn't be a problem. Especially from you."  
  
Zhou Mi hesitated. "That's different," he said. "I didn't exactly have a choice."  
  
"If you don't take them on, they'll just find another ship to fly with," Sungmin pointed out. "And they all have to start from somewhere."  
  
"I thought I told you why we're parting ways," Zhou Mi said with a slight frown.  
  
"The _Revenge_ , right?"  
  
"Which is apparently a suicide mission, as I've been told. I don't want to be responsible for that."  
  
Sungmin regarded him steadily, leaning back in the chair. "If it were you, would you want me to say no?" he asked.  
  
Zhou Mi laughed ruefully, a second's consideration in the making. "That's different," he repeated. "We don't think about these things when we're young. Sorry for the trouble Sungmin, but could you ask around again?"  
  
"I could," Sungmin said slowly, "but I don't think it'll be any different. No offense, but the only people who'd be interested are the young or the stupid, and you don't want the stupid ones."  
  
Zhou Mi's face fell, although it was the answer he'd been expecting. He'd asked Sungmin, because Sungmin knew people, and Sungmin knew Zhou Mi. And since Zhou Mi needed a crew, it had been the logical answer. He needed a ship as well, but if all went as planned, that would be the easy part. But he knew that if he didn't choose the people carefully, everything would fall apart before it even began. But - and there were too many buts already - he was hesitant that Sungmin had described them as 'kids'. Kids deserved second chances, and Zhou Mi didn't think he was qualified to give them that.  
  
"You know, I heard the _Devil's Gale_ 's due to show up soon," Sungmin said, interrupting his thoughts.  
  
" _Devil's Gale_?" Zhou Mi brightened visibly, grinning. "Of course, if we're talking about who knows people..."  
  
"There's no one better," Sungmin confirmed. "And he likes you. That's a plus. They're scheduled to dock in tomorrow night. It's up to you if you want to meet mid-air or on the ground. I'll send a pigeon ahead and tell him you're in the area."  
  
"Air, probably. Safer that way," Zhou Mi mused. With luck, it'd go well enough that he wouldn't have to sign on the kids Sungmin had found. They'd be disappointed, Zhou Mi was sure, but better disappointed than dead.  
  
"That's settled then." Sungmin sounded pleased as well, an easy smile on his face before it abruptly faltered. He opened his mouth to speak, but Zhou Mi beat him to it.  
  
"This is about Kui—Kyuhyun, isn't it?" he asked.  
  
Sungmin nodded mutely, face drawn into an expression of severity.  
  
Zhou Mi ran a tongue across dry lips, nodding in return. "Please don't tell him," he said quietly. He took a deep breath before speaking, admitting to himself that he may have looked forward to their meetings a little more than he let on, and that the fluttering in his chest wasn't all normal after all. That maybe his smiles had been a little brighter than necessary, that it might have been smarter to have avoided him altogether, that he'd been a little too drawn to him every time. That he had a hard time looking away. "I think I like him," he all but whispered.  
  
Sungmin just gave him a hard look. "Don't hurt him," he repeated.  
  
"I would never," Zhou Mi responded.  
  
"I know," Sungmin said, and then sighed. "That's what I'm worried about."  
  
  
-  
  
  
"Is he gone?" Kyuhyun asked without looking up when the lock clicked open and the door swung inwards, Sungmin stepping through the doorway.  
  
"Just now," Sungmin said. "What happened last night?"  
  
Kyuhyun grimaced; it hadn't exactly been the proudest moment of his life. "I'd rather not talk about it," he said shortly. They had, _he_ had—no, not something he wanted to remember.  
  
"Zhou Mi is a good kisser, isn't he?" Sungmin said conversationally.  
  
Kyuhyun stared. "How did you know?" he asked, before burying his face in his hands. "Did you see?" The possibilities ran through his head - could someone else have seen too? But no, he was pretty sure nothing had happened in the hallway. But heard? Maybe.  
  
"No, guessed," Sungmin said, tugging Kyuhyun's hands away. "Now tell me what happened."  
  
"Whose side are you even on? Anyways, I don't want to talk about it." Kyuhyun turned away. "He's...he's a man. And a _Westerner_."  
  
"He's also a good person. And you, Cho Kyuhyun, are being a narrow-minded, Academy trained idiot." Sungmin sighed, rolling his eyes. "I just want to know what happened."  
  
Kyuhyun shrugged. "Don't really remember," he mumbled, which was only a half truth. He remembered all the important parts, and those were too many already.  
  
Sungmin sighed again, kicking Kyuhyun lightly in the shins. "Tell me truthfully, did you hate it?"  
  
_No_ , his mind supplied. "Yes," Kyuhyun said. Sungmin frowned at him. Kyuhyun frowned back. _No_ , his mind insisted a little harder. "No," he admitted a little quietly, and wondered if it was possible to disappear.  
  
To his surprise, Sungmin only nodded, his expression softening into neutrality. "I thought so," he said.  
  
"You're not creeped out?" Kyuhyun asked a little hesitantly.  
  
"Why would I be?" Sungmin shrugged. He stood, pacing across the room. "Look, Kyuhyun. I've known you for what, eight—"  
  
"Nine."  
  
"—nine years, now," Sungmin amended. "And Zhou Mi is a good person. He wouldn't have pushed it if you didn't want to, you know. But it won't work out."  
  
"What won't work out?"  
  
It was Sungmin's turn to stare at him, and Kyuhyun broke eye contact and looked away. "If you don't know, you'll figure it out," he said, and then sighed again, turning to leave. "You can have someone pick up your uniform, or stay here again tonight, I don't really mind."  
  
Kyuhyun nodded blankly, trying not to think too hard, or at all, really. He didn't want to know where his thoughts would go. Not Zhou Mi, he thought. A safer topic, he decided. Like work. Navy. The _Revenge_. A thought dawned on him suddenly, and he wondered why he hadn't thought about it before. "What do you know about the _Spitfire_?" he asked casually.  
  
Sungmin stopped suddenly and turned slowly. "Why do you ask?" he asked.  
  
"They got away," he explained. "I don't like leaving loose ends." Amongst other things.  
  
"That's rare," Sungmin commented. "I've heard _of_ them, and that the ship lives up to its name, but that's about it."  
  
Kyuhyun shrugged. It was worth a try. Sungmin, he'd found, tended to run into a lot of people on the job. "I'll go back today," he said. "Thanks."  
  
"No problem. It's good to see you every now and then," Sungmin said. He paused right before he was about to shut the door again. "I'll tell you if I hear anything about that ship," he added, before leaving Kyuhyun to wallow in his thoughts by himself.  
  
  
-  
  
  
He held his breath. Or it was better to say, that there was a collective holding of breaths, in which the collective consisted of one person. But it was enough of a collective for the atmosphere to dampen significantly, Zhou Mi's fingers smoothing down the hem of his shirt, eyes staring straight ahead. He had a good idea what the response would be.  
  
He wasn't disappointed.  
  
"Are you insane?" Heechul asked quietly. "Who put you up to this? Don't worry, you can tell me, I won't tell anyone."  
  
Zhou Mi laughed nervously, uncrossing and crossing his legs in the other direction. "No one," he said. "If anything, they tried to stop me."  
  
"With good reason," Heechul muttered, scraping his chair back to rummage through his locked drawers.  
  
They were aboard the _Devil's Gale_ , Zhou Mi having 'borrowed' a personal hovercraft to meet them midair as agreed. Heechul had been glad enough to see him, but Zhou Mi wondered if he wasn't regretting it now. He smiled nervously, steepling his fingers, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. Heechul came back with a well worn flask and two glasses, pushing one over at Zhou Mi. Zhou Mi accepted it wordlessly, idly tapping at the rim. "You have a plan, so spill," Heechul said, pouring them both a drink.  
  
Zhou Mi nodded, pressing his lips together briefly before speaking, brisk and business-like. "A luxury liner will be passing over line A3N45 five days from now. The _Golden Hawk_ will be making a pass, unless our source is mistaken, and they've never been mistaken. The visibility should be low that day—we'll be ambushing them after they've gutted the liner. And then I'll captain the _Golden Hawk_."  
  
"The easy part," Heechul said dismissively. "We can help with that. But do you have the crew to man it?"  
  
Zhou Mi hesitated before shaking his head reluctantly. "Not yet," he said. "Some of the _Spitfire_ 's crew will be signing on with me, the _Spitfire_ 's signing on new crew as well, but I'm still short some. A contact said he'd got in touch with a couple of kids, but I was hoping—"  
  
"—that I could find you people," Heechul finished for him. It was his turn to sigh, knocking back his drink. "Look, Seasoning. I like you, but this is insane."  
  
"I've been told," Zhou Mi laughed mirthlessly. "But I have to."  
  
Heechul gave him a hard look, eyes narrowing briefly. "I can find you people," Heechul said eventually. "But I can't promise how many. People I can trust with you are hard to come by, and this sounds like a suicide mission to me."  
  
"I've been told," Zhou Mi repeated with a slight smile. "But I think we might be able to do it."  
  
"Optimistic," Heechul scoffed. And then he leaned forward, an easy grin on his face. "So how's your captain? I heard you picked up some kid, how is he?" A definite leer was on Heechul's face as he said the last.  
  
Zhou Mi looked scandalised. "Henry's not like that!" he protested, but laughed anyway, letting the conversation dissolve into the usual small talk and banter. With luck, Heechul would find him enough of a crew that he wouldn't have to sign on the kids Sungmin had gotten in touch with. With luck.  
  
  
-  
  
  
"You're here again."  
  
Zhou Mi looked up from where he was sitting at the bar, only to find Kyuhyun staring at him, a few handspans away. His heart gave a definite kick, a smile creeping onto his face so determinedly, he couldn't have stopped it even if he'd wanted to. "Kuixian," he greeted—and then their last meeting crept just as determinedly into his forethoughts and the smile dropped off his face faster than it had appeared. "I, um."  
  
"Don't mention it," Kyuhyun said warningly, sliding into the stool one over from Zhou Mi's, leaving a space between them.  
  
Zhou Mi nodded, sneaking a glance at the other man. Kyuhyun was dressed casually today, his uniform traded for a simple vest over the shirt, brown trousers held up by a belt. He felt his throat tighten when Kyuhyun looked his way, their eyes meeting for a split second before Zhou Mi looked away hurriedly, burying his face in his beer. "I'm sorry," he said quietly when he felt like his face was composed enough to resurface again. "About last time, I mean. I hope you don't hate me, although I guess it's too late for that."  
  
"Shut up," Kyuhyun said tightly, waving the barkeep over. Zhou Mi was a little relieved that Sungmin wasn't here today, overseeing some transactions and leaving the overall operation to one of the workers. Zhou Mi waited until he was gone before he spoke up again.  
  
"I know you don't like me, especially because I'm Western and all that—"  
  
"Will you shut up?" Kyuhyun hissed at him, turning to glare. On one hand, Zhou Mi had to admit it was a little intimidating. On the other, Zhou Mi swallowed, and felt his face heat up again. He nodded wordlessly, and quickly turned away. _Don't do anything stupid_ , _don't hurt him_ , Zhou Mi thought.  
  
Kyuhyun coughed awkwardly, catching Zhou Mi's attention. "You're not all bad," Kyuhyun admitted. He looked like he'd swallowed something extremely unpleasant, Zhou Mi thought, but smiled anyway.  
  
"Thank you," he said simply. _You too_ , Zhou Mi thought, _especially for Navy_.  
  
They fell silent for some time, Zhou Mi nursing his drink, and Kyuhyun his. He was going to meet with the kids Sungmin had found later today. Sungmin had said they'd insisted, and he should really reconsider. Maybe they could sign on with the _Spitfire_ instead, he'd suggested. Some fresh blood. Zhou Mi wondered what Kyuhyun would say if he knew what he was thinking of. The thought of it sent a thrill through Zhou Mi, both good and bad. It was always like this, before a planned raid. A smile quirked at Zhou Mi's lips. If Navy got a whiff of this though, he'd rather it not be Kyuhyun's ship again. He'd nearly panicked that time, honestly. He could only be thankful that the captain hadn't recognised Kyuhyun from that meeting, and had decided against a prolonged airfight after all. Zhou Mi shuddered; he didn't want to imagine what would have happened if he'd ended up crossing swords with Kyuhyun.  
  
"The _Thirty Six Strategems_ ," Kyuhyun broke the silence in stilted words. "They're from the West."  
  
Zhou Mi glanced at him, surprised. "Are they? I didn't know."  
  
Kyuhyun stared back at him. "Aren't you Western?" he asked curiously.  
  
"I am," Zhou Mi shrugged. "But I was born in Central, and we don't exactly have history lessons." Or lessons of any kind, really. Zhou Mi was just lucky that the captain of the _Spitfire_ had taken him on when he was old enough, and that Zhou Mi had always been tall for his age.  
  
"Oh." Kyuhyun looked away again, and Zhou Mi felt an odd twinge of regret. He liked Kyuhyun's eyes. _Don't do anything stupid_ , rang through his head, and Zhou Mi looked resolutely away as well.  
  
"I don't really know much about the West," Zhou Mi admitted. "The Central textbooks don't exactly give the most unbiased picture."  
  
"No, they don't," Kyuhyun agreed slowly, Hankyung's words echoing through his mind. "What about your parents?" From as long as he could remember, Kyuhyun's father had drilled him in the past and customs of Old Central, intent on passing down what was universally declared as a noble heritage.  
  
Zhou Mi stiffened, unable to stop the frown that dominated his face, however briefly. "They died," he said simply. "I never knew my mother."  
  
"I'm sorry," Kyuhyun said. "Your father?"  
  
Zhou Mi shrugged. "We weren't close," he said. He could count the number of times they'd talked on one hand. "He was killed," he added after a moment. "By pirates." He watched Kyuhyun out of the corner of his eye, unsure himself of what he wanted to accomplish by mentioning this fact. He'd never really talked to anyone about his father, as omnipresent as his memory tended to be in Zhou Mi's life.  
  
"Oh," was all Kyuhyun said.  
  
Zhou Mi laughed. "It was a long time ago," he said. "I've gotten over it. If you're not busy, would you like to come somewhere with me afterwards?"  
  
Kyuhyun looked at him, brows furrowing. Probably considering if Zhou Mi was going to drag him into an alley and kill him or something, Zhou Mi mused. He opened his mouth, hesitating. Zhou Mi smiled a little wider, his heart suddenly making its presence all too well known. Kyuhyun looked away, and Zhou Mi's heart fell just a tiny, tiny, tiny bit.  
  
"I'm not busy," Kyuhyun said.  
  
"It's fine if you're busy, you probably are," Zhou Mi said, and then stopped and listened to what exactly Kyuhyun had said. "Really?"  
  
"I'm on shore leave." Kyuhyun shrugged, downed the rest of his drink. "Let's go."  
  
Zhou Mi beamed at him, finishing his own drink and hopping off the stool. "It's not far," he promised, leading them out the door.  
  
The walk was silent, Kyuhyun not initiating conversation, and Zhou Mi swimming too deep in his own thoughts to be much of a conversational partner at the moment. It had been a while since someone had brought up either of his parents. When he was a child, people would say that Zhou Mi had his mother's eyes and her smile, and Zhou Mi assumed that it was a compliment, and had smiled wider. She'd either left, or died—no one ever said, and Zhou Mi had never asked. Zhou Mi had his father's skill, they would say as he grew. Had his way with words, had his voice. The last, Zhou Mi had never understood, until someone had told him that when his father was young, he'd been quite popular in the bars, and a looker to boot, the way Zhou Mi was sure to turn out. Zhou Mi had stopped singing, after that. He'd already been signed with the _Spitfire_ then, and the captain had shaken his head, but hadn't said anything about the whole matter.  
  
"Where are we going?" Kyuhyun eventually asked.  
  
Zhou Mi looked up, and simply smiled. "You'll see," he said, turning down a side street, dim in the lighting the near evening sun. He saw Kyuhyun hesitate before following him. "Don't worry, it's safe," he reassured him.  
  
The streets were familiar - to Zhou Mi. Beside him, he could see Kyuhyun's growing confusion at the increasing squalor. Or maybe it was disgust. Zhou Mi didn't mind. He had eyes as well, he could see the difference. He stood out a little, Kyuhyun as well. An old lady sitting outside a door eyed him suspiciously until he greeted her respectfully in careful Western. He saw realisation begin to dawn on Kyuhyun's face.  
  
"This is the Western quarter, Kuixian," he explained, although he was sure Kyuhyun knew by now already.  
  
"Why are we here?"  
  
Zhou Mi shrugged, led them in deeper. "I wanted to show you," he said, meandering down the street. "That we're not bad people." A child darted out from a doorway tucked away in an alcove, nearly bowling Zhou Mi over from the side. " _Be careful_ ," Zhou Mi said laughing, setting the boy on his way after he'd regained his own balance. "Thank you," he said to Kyuhyun, the only reason he hadn't toppled over entirely.  
  
Kyuhyun shrugged, and Zhou Mi beamed. Kyuhyun looked uncomfortable. "Come on," he said, reaching out to tug at Kyuhyun's wrist. Kyuhyun didn't flinch away this time, although Zhou Mi felt him stiffen. Kyuhyun's wrist was warm, and Zhou Mi resisted the urge to slide his hand down towards where Kyuhyun's fingers were. Kyuhyun shook off his grip a few steps later, but Zhou Mi knew he couldn't complain.  
  
"These people, they're all Western?" Kyuhyun sounded surprised. Zhou Mi looked at him, and then looked around, wondering what it was that Kyuhyun saw. Zhou Mi saw children playing, the older brother keeping an eye on the younger siblings while their parents were at work, saw a man who'd given up on life to smoke forgetfulness instead, saw a mother doing the laundry, her mother mending a shirt. (Kyuhyun only saw too many people crammed into too small a space.)  
  
"They are," Zhou Mi confirmed. "They're not barbarians, or ignorant, or whores." He saw Kyuhyun flinch at the words; he knew Kyuhyun remembered. "Although, I can't promise that you don't need to keep an eye on your wallet," he said with a slight laugh, "but that's the same no matter where you go."  
  
"Is this what you wanted to show me?" Kyuhyun asked.  
  
Zhou Mi nodded. "I'm sorry, it's just that—"  
  
"Stop apologising," Kyuhyun snapped. When Zhou Mi looked over at him, an unreadable look had clouded his eyes. His breath hitched unaccountably, and Zhou Mi swallowed.  
  
"Sor—I mean—" He laughed weakly. "I'm not very good at this am I?"  
  
"No, you're not," Kyuhyun said. "And, before. You didn't have to apologise. It's not like you did anything wrong."  
  
Zhou Mi pressed his lips together. If only you knew, he thought wryly, but didn't say anything. And then Kyuhyun's words clicked. "I didn't do anything wrong?" His words were slow; he eyed Kyuhyun carefully.  
  
Kyuhyun looked away, tongue flicking out across his lips. "No," he said shortly. "You didn't."  
  
The staccato in Zhou Mi's chest increased, as he reached out hesitantly to grab at Kyuhyun's wrist again. When Kyuhyun didn't pull away, Zhou Mi's fingers tightened. He pulled the other man along at a brisk place until they were in an alleyway deserted enough that even Zhou Mi had never explored as a child. "I didn't do anything wrong?" he confirmed. He was slightly breathless, and it had nothing to do with the walk. Kyuhyun didn't meet his eyes, but there was an imperceptible shake of the head.  
  
Zhou Mi swallowed, anxiety making it hard to breathe as he leaned forward. They weren't drunk this time, Zhou Mi knew. Kyuhyun knew. He hesitated, leaving the smallest space between them, breaths mingling until Kyuhyun made an impatient noise, tugging him closer. The last few milimeters disappeared until their lips collided. Zhou Mi squeaked in surprise. He pulled away hastily, still watching Kyuhyun carefully. _Navy, remember?_ he reminded himself. "Is this okay?" he asked Kyuhyun.  
  
"You talk too much," Kyuhyun grumbled.  
  
"Kuixian," Zhou Mi breathed. And kissed him again.  
  
  
-  
  
  
Kyuhyun strode through the halls of the ship, barging through the door of the captain's quarters with little ceremony. Zhou Mi had left to find his crew earlier that day, and Kyuhyun had found no more reason to stay grounded.  
  
"I have an idea," Kyuhyun said simply, dropping into the seat across from Siwon.  
  
Siwon looked up curiously, his pen replaced quietly on the table. "Oh? And you weren't due back for two days."  
  
"I don't like being grounded. I thought you'd be more excited," Kyuhyun grumbled, unrolling a map across the desk. "It's about the _Revenge_." Siwon sat up abruptly, taking notice. Kyuhyun gave himself a mental pat on the back of approval. "I think I've got something. It's not foolproof, but I'd give it seventy percent, which is pretty good, considering who we're dealing with."  
  
"Show me," Siwon said, leaning forward excitedly.  
  
Kyuhyun was glad to oblige. "Here, here, and here. Red marks where the _Revenge_ was last seen. Blue marks where they've attacked. Green is where other pirates were drawn to the scene afterward, in other words, were in the area or knew of the attack in advance."  
  
Siwon frowned. Kyuhyun grinned. "How does that help?"  
  
"It doesn't." Kyuhyun smirked when Siwon shot him a confused look. "By itself. But black marks where the _Revenge_ was involved in an airfight. There's never been a recorded airfight with a _Navy_ ship, but they've tangled with other pirates enough. A lot of in-fighting. And I don't know if they've noticed the pattern, but _I_ have."  
  
Siwon sat back in his chair, tapping his fingers idly against the map. "So what does that mean?"  
  
"It means," Kyuhyun said, "that we can find the _Revenge_ , and on our terms."  
  
"How?" Siwon asked, exasperated by the circles Kyuhyun knew he was drawing around the topic.  
  
"With a borrowed knife. Bait."  
  
  
-  
  
  
Zhou Mi paced nervously on the deck, peering over the edge every now and then, although there was nothing below. No, what was interesting would be above them. He glanced around the _Spitfire_ , checking one last time that things were in order. Henry caught his eye from the other end of the ship and gave him a quick thumbs up from where he was going over the long range handguns with Donghae. Their heavy artillery would be useless today, if Zhou Mi wanted a ship to fly with after. It was a mere speck even through the spyglass, but Zhou Mi could just see the _Devil's Gale_ in the distance, Heechul keeping his promise of assistance if it was required. Zhou Mi didn't think it would be.  
  
"Nervous?"  
  
Zhou Mi didn't have to look behind him to know it was the captain. "A little," he admitted. The captain joined him at the rail, although they were skimming low over the surface of the water right now. "Thank you," Zhou Mi said quickly, taking a step back and giving him a deep bow. "For everything."  
  
The captain laughed. patting Zhou Mi's shoulder. "You can thank me after you come out of this alive—and I don't mean capturing the _Hawk_."  
  
"I might not get a chance," Zhou Mi said honestly, straightening. "You were like a father to me."  
  
"Then you had poor luck in fathers," the captain said. "That is what this is about, isn't it?"  
  
Zhou Mi shifted uncomfortably, a nervous laugh at the corners of his lips. "Not entirely," he said.  
  
"But partially."  
  
Zhou Mi nodded, fingers curling around the railing of the deck.  
  
"He wasn't a bad man, your father."  
  
Zhou Mi laughed bitterly. "It doesn't sound like it."  
  
The captain shot him a look, and Zhou Mi looked away. "There have been much worse men, and far worse pirates."  
  
"And far better," Zhou Mi said quietly.  
  
"Like you?"  
  
Zhou Mi shrugged, and shook his head. "If I were better, I would have found another way."  
  
"Sometimes, there only is one way," the captain said, and Zhou Mi knew that he was right. But that didn't mean he had to admit it. "You'll be taking Henry with you?"  
  
Zhou Mi was glad for the change of topic, nodding, even though they'd discussed this before. "He seemed adamant about it," he said, hesitating before continuing. "The kids—"  
  
"Give them a chance." The captain cut Zhou Mi off before he could continue. Zhou Mi stared at him, eyes wide. "They remind me a little of you, and they know what they're getting into."  
  
"But it's an adult's responsibility—"  
  
"They're not much younger than you are, Mi. And far older than when you first signed on with the _Spitfire_. You can tell, this isn't their first ship." The captain nodded towards the crows nest, where one of them was currently perched, scanning the sky above them for the movement they should be seeing at any moment. And he _could_ tell. They had settled into the rhythm of the ship far faster than he could've expected.  
  
Zhou Mi nodded mutely, settling back into a thoughtful silence. But not for long, the captain interrupting his thoughts again.  
  
"Will you continue the legacy?"  
  
The question caught him by surprise, although he supposed he should have expected it. "No," he said after a moment's hesitation. "I think it's time for it to end."  
  
The captain nodded approvingly, clapping Zhou Mi on the shoulder. "The _Revenge_ may have been your father's ship, but it wouldn't suit you," he agreed. He nodded once more, before turning his steps away without another word.  
  
Zhou Mi debated chasing after him, but the signal bell caught his attention and he darted to the com tube instead. "Taemin?"  
  
"The _Hawk_ is preparing to release the boarding lines." His was scratchy across the distance, but clear and understandable. "Um. That's all."  
  
And that was all. "Thank you," Zhou Mi replied. "You should probably come down now."  
  
"Okay!" he heard, and when he looked up, the kid was already clambering down the lines easily. Definitely not his first ship, Zhou Mi thought.  
  
Zhou Mi jogged towards the captain, already taken over the helm again. "They're preparing to release the boarding lines," Zhou Mi said, glancing upwards at where the two ships hoverd far enough above that the _Spitfire_ should have been of no consequence. "It's time."  
  
The captain nodded grimly, bringing the airship around until its nose was pointed straight in the direction of the _Hawk_. "Alright crew!" he yelled, the _Spitfire_ 's crew turning as one. "We're going up!"  
  
A muted cheer rose, and Zhou Mi's heart swelled. This would be his last raid with the _Spitfire_ , if all went well. He ran his eyes across the crew, across the moorings, the familiar wings. The _Spitfire_ 's crew had changed over the years, but he could pick out a few faces that'd been with the ship nearly as long as he had. And then the ship lurched, and Zhou Mi automatically looped a line of mooring around his waist, clinging to one of the many handholds installed for that purpose. Donghae gave him a cheerful wave, before dropping into the hull of the ship with most of the others, a far safer place to be on a steep ascent like this. He saw one of the kids hanging resolutely on deck as well, watching the way the ship manoeuvred with eyes wide. Minho, Zhou Mi sort of remembered, he was a little quieter than the others.  
  
The _Hawk_ didn't seem to have noticed them yet, but Zhou Mi didn't rule out the possibility, keeping a careful watch. The distance between them closed in a flash, until the _Spitfire_ was entirely under the _Hawk_ 's shadow. They cruised along like that for a few moments, putting some space between them and the liner. The captain caught Zhou Mi's eye and nodded once. He slowed the _Spitfire_ , pulling it back, and raised their altitude imperceptibly. Zhou Mi signalled the crew, and was somehow relieved to see them reappear, popping out from the deck. He checked his own blade, a perfunctory measure, and pulled the gun out of the holster, to turn the reassurance of its weight in his hands. The wind whipped his hair into his face, as short as he tended to keep it. A glint of metal above told him that the _Hawk_ had finally noticed them - a glance at the captain told him that he had seen too - but it was too late. They were in the _Hawk_ 's blind spot, and unless they carried the same sort of guns the _Spitfire_ did, they were out of luck. And sources told him that they didn't.  
  
Their gunner took it as their cue as well, him and Donghae setting up the new long-range precision guns with ease. Their efforts were rewarded with splashes of red. Zhou Mi smiled grimly.  
  
The _Spitfire_ pulled level with the _Hawk_ , and eased higher until they were almost directly on top of the other ship. Within moments, the deck of the _Spitfire_ was teeming with activity, the crew swinging over the railing and dropping onto the _Hawk_ , cries in the air. Zhou Mi pulled back a moment, keeping an eye on any last minute incidents before nodding briskly to the captain and running to the edge of the _Spitfire_ , swinging down easily. The _Spitfire_ would be at its most vulnerable now, with only a skeleton crew to keep it afloat. They would have to be quick.  
  
Zhou Mi grunted, his boot coming into contact with someone's head with a sharp crack before he jumped down. He pulled his blade free and stabbed the unfortunate soul for good measure, whirling around just in time to counter another with a sharp clang of metal on metal, adding to the already noisy din. Zhou Mi feinted to the left, ducking and rolling behind the man, dispatching him with not his blade, but a well placed bullet from the gun in his other hand. He didn't wait to see the look of surprise as the man fell to his knees, preferring to holster his gun and move on. He caught sight of Minho hacking his way determinedly against three and made his way to his side, easily taking care of two of them before the third realised what was going on, leaving him to Minho.  
  
The element of surprise worn through, the _Hawk_ 's crew began their own assault. It was with a pang of regret that Zhou Mi watched one of the _Spitfire_ 's crew cut down, but it was a brief one. The shriek of metal sliding against its own resounded in his ears, Zhou Mi's mouth pressed into a thin line as he held the other man's blade back. To his surprise, the man slumped suddenly against his will, and someone Zhou Mi recognised as one of the new members pulled out a bloodied blade with a smile. _Key_ his mind supplied after a moment, but Zhou Mi had already moved on.  
  
"Come with me!" he yelled over the noise at Donghae, picking him out from a distance and making his cautious way over. Donghae glanced at him and nodded, dancing away from the _Hawk_ crew member he'd been duking it out with, fluidly enough that he wouldn't be able to follow. Zhou Mi glanced back once to check that Donghae was close on his heels, before making his way pell-mell to where the captain of the _Hawk_ was holding his own against _Spitfire_ crew members. The two of them arrived in time to see one of them go down, but Zhou Mi didn't flinch, stepping forward to take his place instead.  
  
In the end, it was surprisingly simple. The captain of the _Hawk_ slipped, Zhou Mi took a step forward, his blade jabbing sharply downward, took another step forward, and then took a hold of the wheel. Donghae whooped, and Zhou Mi pulled the _Hawk_ into a sharp ascent. The crew of the _Hawk_ were caught off guard, and easily unbalanced. Zhou Mi listened grimly as screams pierced the air. The scent of blood was starting to become all-pervasive. "Surrender," he heard his—no, the _Spitfire_ 's captain yell from above. Zhou Mi risked a glance behind him, and saw the hesitation in the faces of the crew of the _Hawk_. He hoped they would surrender. The _Spitfire_ had made a point.  
  
They did, and Zhou Mi let out a sigh of relief. So far, things were going well. Although, he reminded himself, this had been the easy part.  
  
  
-  
  
  
"Distress call from coordinates A3N45, seven-eight. _Medea_ has been requested for backup." Kyuhyun walked briskly towards the helm, where Hankyung was flying the _Medea_ on its routine patrol. Hankyung snapped to attention when Kyuhyun approached, and Kyuhyun could see him mentally calculating their relative positions. "How long will it take?"  
  
Hankyung shrugged, pulling out a chart book and a pencil, quickly sketching in the wind patterns he'd obtained earlier in the day. "Give or take an hour," he said. "More take than give."  
  
Kyuhyun nodded. "Good enough. I suspect the pirates will take the tenth line, so we can account for that too and head them off."  
  
"An hour tops," Hankyung decided, quickly changing the course of the ship. Kyuhyun left him to his work, jogging back towards the cabin where Siwon was already issuing orders to the crew. He had the decency to wait until Siwon finished talking before knocking on the door, the military protocol knocked into him during the Academy finally taking effect. "Less than an hour," he reported. Siwon nodded crisply at him. Kyuhyun took it as a signal to make himself scarce.  
  
Kyuhyun paced the deck, wind pushing his hair away from his face. Hankyung was busy keeping the _Medea_ in the updraft, and the crew were busy making the ship battle ready, tying down the guns and preparing the ammunition. Kyuhyun was busy doing much of nothing.  
  
There was a possibility it had been the _Revenge_ , Kyuhyun thought. In which case this entire exercise would be futile, the ship gone long before the _Medea_ arrived. He doubted it though, it was probably just routine piracy, but the possibility still made Kyuhyun's heart race.  
  
For some reason, he suddenly thought of fingers around his wrist, the soft brush of lips against his, legs a mile long, and his heart pounding in his ears.  
  
Kyuhyun firmly pushed that thought away.  
  
That, he knew, could wait.  
  
First, they had some pirates to dispose of. Everything else came after.  
  
  
-  
  
  
"So this is where we part." Zhou Mi smiled at the captain of the _Spitfire_ , his own things already moved to the cabin of the former _Golden Hawk_ , and much of the loot from the _Hawk_ transferred to the _Spitfire_ 's hold. The crew of the _Devil's Gale_ had dropped by to get things ship shape, before departing with best wishes of luck and a reminder that Zhou Mi was insane. "Thank you for everything."  
  
The captain shook his head, frowning. "I still think this is a mistake, but you're old enough to make your own choices. But there will always be a place for you on the _Spitfire_ , if you ever grow tired of captaining the _Hawk_. Speaking of which, what will you name her?"  
  
Zhou Mi glanced over the railing to where the _Hawk_ was still tethered to the _Spitfire_ below, the two ships cruising through the air in an easy tandem. " _Koala_ ," he decided with a smile.  
  
The captain sputtered. "The what?"  
  
" _Golden Koala_. I've always liked koalas. They're kind of cute." Zhou Mi grinned at the captain's nonplussed expression, until he shook his head resignedly.  
  
"The _Koala_ it is." The captain sighed, and then reached forward to clasp Zhou Mi's hand in his. "Fair winds and good flight to you, my son," he said, shaking Zhou Mi's hand.  
  
"Thank you, captain," Zhou Mi said, and then frowned, a ship bearing in towards them clearly visible in the distance.  
  
The captain turned to see what he was looking at, and swore lightly. "Alright. Get going, boy. We'll take care of this."  
  
Zhou Mi shook his head, quickly unfolding a spyglass. The ship looked familiar. Was familiar, in fact. "Kuixian," he breathed lightly, when he realised with a start that it was the _Medea_. He inched the scope upwards, and then nearly dropped it as if he'd been burnt.  
  
Kyuhyun had seen him. He knew for sure.  
  
Zhou Mi's heart sank, but there would be time for that later. "Captain!" he called after the man's retreating back. "Could you do me one last favour?"  
  
The captain of the _Spitfire_ stopped and turned, waiting.  
  
"Please don't engage them," he said, swallowing nervously.  
  
The captain gave him an inscrutable look, before nodding. "Your friend?" he asked, and didn't wait for Zhou Mi's response before continuing. "We'll see," he said grimly, and Zhou Mi knew that was the best they could manage.  
  
He swung down the last tether line and onto the _Koala_ , just as the first sounds of gunfire rung out.  
  
  
-  
  
  
"Fuck."  
  
Kyuhyun let the spyglass drop limply from his hand, dimly registering that it clattered onto the deck and not through the expanse below. He pressed a hand to his face, as if an attempt to block out what he couldn't deny having seen. With nothing else to do, he simply swore again, and it was with mixed feelings that he heard the sounds of gunfire ring out.  
  
  
-  
  
  
Zhou Mi ran up the bridge, relieving Donghae at the controls. "You're our main gunner now," he said. "Get your friend and the new kid, the tall one, to help, I think he said he's worked with them before, but don't sink them!"  
  
Donghae nodded, if a little quizzically at Zhou Mi's last order. "Aye captain," he said, darting off to moor the guns. Zhou Mi glanced around the ship, its unfamiliarity hitting him like a punch in the gut. He wondered where Henry was, and then remembered that they'd found some poor wretch in the brig, and Henry had taken it upon himself to nurse him back to some semblance of health. The former crew of the _Hawk_ mingled with the former crew of the _Spitfire_ , united in a singular effort agains a common foe. Zhou Mi turned his attention back to the controls, fingers ghosting over the unfamiliar layout. He chanced a look upwards to see the _Spitfire_ break away, firing warning shots at the _Medea_ , still approaching. Zhou Mi set his jaw, pulling the _Koala_ into as sharp a turn it could manage, hoping that the ship's wings could take the strain. It should; they had chosen the _Hawk_ to take for a reason.  
  
He could see the _Medea_ wavering between the two pirate ships, and it was with both a feeling of relief and one of regret that he saw it break towards the _Spitfire_. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Donghae release the guns; one round broke solidly through one of the _Medea_ 's wings, crippling the ship for moments before it compensated for the reduced lift, lurching back into commission. It would have to do.  
  
With both the _Spitfire_ and the _Medea_ disappearing into the distance, Zhou Mi let the _Koala_ ease into its own course. This was where he should give some sort of rallying speech, a thank you, an ultimatum, a challenge. As the last echo of gunfire faded into the air, Zhou Mi turned, facing his crew as captain for the first time. His knees felt suddenly weak—he offered them a smile.  
  
  
-  
  
  
He was a pirate.  
  
Zhou Mi, Joomyuk, whatever. Was a sky pirate.  
  
He should've known. Kyuhyun should've known. It made sense, of course. Zhou Mi was Western. Simple as that. He'd lied, and Kyuhyun had stupidly believed him. Stupid of him. He felt disgusted with himself. A pirate. Aboard the _Spitfire_ too, and Kyuhyun couldn't help the brittle laugh that escaped with that thought.  
  
Sungmin knew, Kyuhyun realised suddenly. He knew about Zhou Mi, knew about the _Spitfire_. The frowns clicked into place, the way he'd hesitated even though he was usually eagerly glad to provide Kyuhyun with information from his extensive networks. The bastard, Kyuhyun thought viciously. Whose side was he even on?  
  
Maybe he was a pirate too, Kyuhyun mused, except that made no sense in the slightest.  
  
A knock at the door jerked him out of his thoughts. Kyuhyun ignored it—if it was urgent, they could find someone else to bother, he wasn't the only one on this ship. A second set of knocks was accompanied by a quiet "Kyuhyun, I know you're there." Kyuhyun stood with a sigh, unlocking the door.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, words clipped short. Siwon stood there with a severe expression, until Kyuhyun stepped aside to let him in, shutting the door behind him.  
  
"Something's wrong," Siwon said quietly, the moment the door clicked shut.  
  
Kyuhyun shrugged. "No, nothing's wrong," he said as offhandedly as he could.  
  
Siwon stared at him, disbelieving. "I've known you all your life, Kyuhyun, I can tell when something's wrong."  
  
"Well, this time you're the only thing who's wrong," Kyuhyun said steadily, staring back at Siwon. "How soon do you think we can go after the _Revenge_?" A quick change of topic.  
  
Siwon looked like he wanted to argue, but let it slip by anyway. "That's the priority mission," Siwon answered. "So once we've escorted this ship to dock, as soon as you see fit."  
  
Kyuhyun nodded, arms crossed, fingers tapping lightly against one arm. "Then let's get this over with," he said grimly. Two birds with one stone—he'd meant to use the _Spitfire_ as bait anyway. Now he just had another reason to do so.  
  
  
-  
  
  
  
"How is he?" Zhou Mi asked quietly, shutting the door of the captain's room behind him. Henry looked up from where he sat beside the bed, giving him a shrug.  
  
"I can't really tell," he said. "But I don't think he likes pirates very much."  
  
Zhou Mi laughed mirthlessly at this, drawing up a chair. "I don't think most people do," he said, leaning forward to place a hand on the man's forehead. He had a slight fever, but it didn't seem serious. His brows were furrowed even in sleep, face drawn and cheeks hollow, a small cough racking his body every few moments. "I asked the _Hawk_ 's crew about him—apparently he's a Navy medical officer who they took along because they'd lost their own surgeon a few months ago, but it seemed like he was reluctant to treat pirates. He did, eventually, but then the man died anyway, and they said it's because he did it on purpose."  
  
"Do you think so?" Henry asked with a frown. "He doesn't look like he would."  
  
Zhou Mi shrugged. "Some people hate pirates a lot," he said simply.  
  
"Because...you kill people..." The man cracked his eyes open, his voice scratchy. Henry quickly reached behind him for a cup of water, offering it to the man who pushed it away with a shake of his head. "I didn't kill him," he added; desperately, Zhou Mi thought.  
  
"We don't think you did," Zhou Mi reassured him. "What's your name?"  
  
"I'm...not telling pirates," the man said defiantly, before breaking down into a coughing fit. Henry leaned over him worriedly, holding the cup of water to his lips, helping him into a sitting position.  
  
Zhou Mi sighed. In the end, they were still pirates. "We won't hurt you," he promised. "I'll leave it to you," he whispered to Henry, before leaving the room.  
  
He sank down against the door in the empty hallway, massaging the bridge of his nose with one hand. Well, the cat really was out of the bag now. He would've told Kyuhyun eventually, maybe. He should apologise - but Kyuhyun was more likely to kill him right now than listen. _Don't hurt him_ , Sungmin had said, and Zhou Mi had done just that. He hadn't _meant_ to, after all, he _liked_ Kyuhyun, but—  
  
"Captain?"  
  
"You don't have to call me that, Donghae," Zhou Mi said tiredly, pulling out his best smile.  
  
Donghae shrugged, and sat down next to him. "You're the captain now," he said. "I heard from Henry, by the way. About that guy in the Navy. He was aboard the _Medea_ , wasn't he?"  
  
Zhou Mi nodded, resigned. "Who else knows?" he asked.  
  
"No one aboard the _Koala_. Jin Mo, but he's dead now," Donghae answered, a casual shrug at odds with his frown. "I liked him," he said simply by way of explanation.  
  
"Me too," Zhou Mi agreed. The _Spitfire_ 's crew had gotten off lightly, but not unscathed. Zhou Mi knew that the fewer people knew, the better it was for him—but he hated that this piece of luck came at the expense of someone's life.  
  
"So. What's the next step, captain?" Donghae asked cheerfully, extra emphasis on the last word.  
  
Zhou Mi smiled back, forcing the other thoughts into the back of his mind as he stood. _Captain_ , he thought. "Chart a course for the capital. We let off those who don't want to serve with the _Koala_. Put up a watch, pay particular attention to ships approaching from the East. Pull down the colours, with luck we'll dock tonight. And then we go after the _Revenge_."  
  
"Aye, captain," Donghae said, and dashed off to carry out the orders.  
  
Captain.

-

"His name is Ryeowook," Henry announced, the moment Zhou Mi stepped into the room. "He's sleeping."  
  
Zhou Mi nodded, pulling out the chair from the desk, dropping into it almost heavily. "We'll be docking near the capital tonight, we can drop him off at a hospital then," he said.  
  
Unexpectedly, Henry frowned. "Can we keep him?" he asked. "I like him."  
  
Zhou Mi stared. Henry turned pink, quickly realising the words that had come out of his mouth. "Not like _that_ , ge! It's just—" he trailed off suddenly, at a loss for words.  
  
"I doubt he wants to stay on a ship with pirates," Zhou Mi pointed out.  
  
Henry frowned again, a slight pout forming at his lips. "We're not bad people," he said quietly. "I don't want him to think we are." It was Zhou Mi's turn to frown, because he knew exactly what Henry meant. "Besides, wouldn't it be troublesome to bring him somewhere? He still has a fever, and we probably shouldn't move him. _Think about it, gege_."  
  
" _I'll consider it_ ," Zhou Mi answered. Henry was right that dropping him off would be troublesome, but Zhou Mi was reluctant to drag in someone who probably wanted nothing to do with this whole thing. Zhou Mi leaned over and pulled out a chart, spreading it across the table and pinning it down at the edges. He'd been tracking the movements of the _Revenge_ for some time—out of some filial sense when he was young, then out of habit, and more recently with a purpose.  
  
"How do you plan on finding them?" Henry spoke up.  
  
"We won't," Zhou Mi said. "We'll let them find us."  
  
"No offense _ge_ , but that doesn't sound like a great plan." Henry stared at the charts thoughtfully, mouth open to say more when the room to the door burst open, Eunhyuk running in. Zhou Mi stood, anxiety building in his chest.  
  
"The _Medea_?" he asked quickly.  
  
He shook his head. "No," he said breathlessly. "The _Acheron_. Estimating two minutes before we're in range."  
  
Zhou Mi swore lightly, nodding at the man. "Stay here," he said to Henry, following the other out the door. When he looked back, Henry was tight on their heels as well. "Stay," Zhou Mi commanded. "And that's an order." He saw Henry hesitate, and hoped that Henry would obey as the two of them bolted on deck.  
  
"Situation?" he asked, grabbing the nearest person.  
  
"Captain! Guns are moored, tether lines are in place in case they're needed, and, um, I took the liberty of retuning the wings. The crew is ready to go, though."  
  
_Not really_ , Zhou Mi thought, eyeing the bandage wrapped around his head, but nodded instead. "Thank you," he said crisply, before rushing forward to the helm.  
  
"I can take it from here," he told the person at the controls. Someone he didn't recognise well, one of the _Hawk_ 's former crew, he thought. It was strange how quickly allegiances could change, but Zhou Mi knew that if it were him, he'd do the same. If the ship fell, they would all fall with it. He ran his hands across the levers, banking the ship to the right. He hoped that Donghae had taken the time to familiarise himself with the artillery in what little time they'd had: it would make the difference here.  
  
The ship echoed hollowly as a shell sprang towards the _Acheron_ , falling short. Zhou Mi brought the _Koala_ further abreast, still inching carefully away. Henry hadn't had a chance to retool the guns yet; he didn't want to risk the _Acheron_ 's range. He had tangled with the _Acheron_ some years ago with the _Spitfire_ , but just as the _Spitfire_ had changed, it was likely the _Acheron_ had as well.  
  
Sometimes, Zhou Mi hated being proved right. A flash of gunfire from the _Acheron_ was echoed by a muted scream just behind him. Zhou Mi turned. Blanched. "Henry," he mouthed under his breath, torn between running to the boy and staying at the controls.  
  
"I've got him," the kid who Zhou Mi had grabbed earlier said, already kneeling by Henry's side, pressing his hands to where red was already blossoming across his torso. Zhou Mi nodded tersely, turning back to the controls.  
  
"What's the plan?" Someone spoke from behind Zhou Mi—he didn't want to turn around and risk losing sight of the _Acheron_.  
  
"We're pulling back. We're not prepared, and the crew's tired." The last drew a sound of protest, but Zhou Mi shook his head, cutting him off. "We're pulling back, and that's an order. Tell the crew to stay low, we don't want a repeat. Get Donghae to cover fire from port and rear—he'll be at the main guns."  
  
He heard footsteps retreating, and moments later, a response of gunfire came from the interior of the _Koala_ , echoed by those on the deck. Zhou Mi quickly pulled the ship into an upwards flight pattern, slipping into a northern airstream. The _Hawk_ had been aptly named: it took full advantage of the wind, effectively increasing its speed by half again. It wasn't until the _Acheron_ was a mere speck in the distance that Zhou Mi gestured for someone to hold a steady course, dashing inside.  
  
"How is he?" he asked frantically, the moment he was in range.  
  
"I don't know," the kid answered. _Name, what was his name_ , Zhou Mi thought. It was Central—Onew. That was it. "We all learn some first aid at the Academy, but I wasn't in a medicine stream."  
  
"We don't _have_ a surgeon," Zhou Mi said. Henry's face was paler than usual, his breathing shallow. The shell had shattered on impact, and Zhou Mi winced when he saw the pieces embedded in his side. "We'll have to remove those," he said, nodding at the wound.  
  
Onew frowned. "If we do, he could bleed to death," he said. "It's dangerous to do it if you're not trained."  
  
"He's right." A shaky voice from behind them caught Zhou Mi's attention, his head snapping around like it'd been jerked on a string.  
  
"You have a fever, you shouldn't be here." Zhou Mi rushed to his side, as if he would topple over at any moment.  
  
Ryeowook shook his head. "I'm a medical officer," he said. "I can't just stand by and do nothing." He straightened, walking the few steps to Henry's prone form. Zhou Mi followed, hands hovering to catch him. "Needle, string, water, clean cloths, and a candle," Ryeowook said, kneeling down to inspect the area.  
  
Zhou Mi looked at Onew who nodded back, disappearing from the room. He looked back at Ryeowook, who still looked far too pale to be up. "We're pirates," he reminded Ryeowook quietly.  
  
Ryeowook shook his head again, sitting back on his heels. "You're still people," he pointed out. "Whether you're bad people or not."  
  
"We're not," Zhou Mi said. He swallowed—he could feel the dampness at the corner of his eyes, not exactly fitting behaviour for the captain of a pirate ship. "Thank you."  
  
"I haven't done anything yet." Ryeowook sounded genuinely surprised.  
  
It was Zhou Mi's turn to shake his head, the tension of the moment seeping out of his body. "Please just do your best," he said.  
  
Onew returned with the requested items, handing Ryeowook a bag, and placing a basin of water on the floor next to him. Ryeowook looked up at him and gave him a tired smile. "I'll try," he said.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
  
-  
  
  
Kyuhyun felt slightly better, having badly mangled a pirate ship on their return trip, in the name of escorting the luxury liner to safety. He hadn't bothered looking at the name, maybe because that was one of the first things they'd destroyed. The _Medea_ itself was docked as well, Siwon returning to the Headquarters to give a (supposedly) quick report, a repair crew swarming over the wings in the meantime. Kyuhyun suspected it would take a few days. He was, in theory, in charge of the _Medea_ at the moment, but Kyuhyun had never been one for command.  
  
So he let the next person in the line of command take over. As a gesture of good-will. Of course.  
  
And then proceeded to jump ship - figuratively. "I think it would be a good idea to pay my mother a visit," Kyuhyun explained blankly when Hankyung asked him where he was going, dressed in civilian's clothes. "It seemed like she missed me."  
  
Hankyung had raised a few questioning looks at the explanation, but hadn't said anything further. As it was, Kyuhyun found himself at the door of Sungmin's inn, hesitating at the threshold when the door opened.  
  
Fate, Kyuhyun was finding, had a strange way of bringing people together.  
  
"Lieutenant," the last person Kyuhyun wanted to see said slowly.  
  
"Zhou Mi," Kyuhyun said, echoing his tone.  
  
Zhou Mi smiled at him nervously, Kyuhyun's heart traitorously skipping a beat at the movement. "What are you doing here," he said with a slight scowl.  
  
"Passing by," Zhou Mi said, stepping aside to let Kyuhyun pass through the door. Kyuhyun hesitated, before stepping inside. He could see Sungmin at the back—he was watching the whole affair, no doubt perfectly aware of what was going on. Kyuhyun wasn't particularly surprised when Zhou Mi shut the door, following Kyuhyun as he sat down.  
  
"I'm sorry," was the first thing Zhou Mi said. He was aware of Zhou Mi standing behind him awkwardly, as if unsure of what to do with his lanky, equally awkward, self. Kyuhyun didn't respond, waving Sungmin over instead. He saw Sungmin hesitate, and Kyuhyun repeated the gesture, until the other man walked over slowly.  
  
"This is a surprise," Sungmin said, automatically pouring Kyuhyun a drink. "I didn't think you would be back so soon."  
  
"Something came up," Kyuhyun answered blandly, meeting Sungmin's eyes. Sungmin quirked his lips, and then looked away. "You knew," Kyuhyun said. Behind him, Zhou Mi made a choking sound.  
  
Sungmin nodded. "I did," he said. "But you never asked."  
  
"You knew about the _Spitfire_ ," Kyuhyun pointed out. Zhou Mi shifted uncomfortably, the sounds of his boots sliding softly against the wooden floor.  
  
"I might have lied about that," Sungmin admitted. "But I didn't lie about Mi."  
  
Kyuhyun narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
Sungmin pressed his lips into a thin line, looking behind Kyuhyun's to where Zhou Mi was still standing. "I told you he was good person, didn't I? And he is."  
  
"He's a _pirate_ ," Kyuhyun hissed, voice low. A man four stools down shot him a strange look. Zhou Mi remained strangely still and silent.  
  
"So?" Sungmin shrugged. "You don't have to be a pirate to be a bad person. And sit down, Mi, you're too tall to stand," he joked lightly.  
  
Kyuhyun heard Zhou Mi step around him, caught him out of the corner of his eye as he slipped into the stool beside him, eyes still downcast. Kyuhyun looked away. " _Pirate_ ," Kyuhyun repeated to Sungmin.  
  
"Why," Zhou Mi spoke up, hesitated, glanced at Kyuhyun before continuing, "are all pirates bad?"  
  
Kyuhyun turned to stare at him blankly, dimly aware that Sungmin had coughed at him awkwardly, leaning towards them on the bar. "Because they are," he said. "Because they disturb law and order. Because they steal and pillage and destroy. Because they kill. Because you're murderers."  
  
"Ah." Zhou Mi smiled. Kyuhyun felt a little blinded, and hated himself for the deja-vue. "You're right, I am. But, Kuixian ah, aren't you too?"  
  
Kyuhyun stared at him wordlessly. "It's for the good of the country," he said eventually, giving the rote textbook answer that Kyuhyun had never thought was good enough, but had forgotten just as quickly.  
  
"What makes your killing right, and our killing wrong?" Zhou Mi wanted to know. Sungmin was still standing there, an attentive expression on his face, but with no apparent intention to interrupt.  
  
"Because you kill innocent people," Kyuhyun answered as evenly as he could, knowing what Zhou Mi's answer was going to be even before he shook his head.  
  
"But I don't," Zhou Mi said. "I don't enjoy killing people. But sometimes, it can't be helped. It's the same for you, isn't it, Kuixian?"  
  
"Don't call me that," Kyuhyun snapped, downing his drink in one go, the liquor burning against his throat as it slid down. Sungmin was staring at him disapprovingly, and Kyuhyun wanted to snap at him too, but Sungmin walked off before he got the chance, leaving the two of them alone.  
  
"I'm sorry," Zhou Mi said again. "I meant to tell you eventually, but I guess I wanted to wait until I was sure you wouldn't kill me." He laughed nervously at his own words.  
  
Kyuhyun ignored him, but was still acutely aware of Zhou Mi's presence next to him. He debated standing up and leaving, but there were things he had wanted to discuss with Sungmin. And—and nothing. Zhou Mi fidgeted, his fingers curling around each other, straightening until they bent backwards, thumbs folding in and out. Kyuhyun should have figured it out: he had the obvious callouses of gripping a blade, the ones that came from overpractice with a gun. Zhou Mi's hands splayed out flat against the counter, his stool scraping backwards as he stood.  
  
"I'm sorry," Zhou Mi said for the third time that day. He stood there for a moment, and Kyuhyun willed him to just _leave_. "I heard from Sungmin - you're chasing the _Revenge_." Kyuhyun started, how much had Sungmin told him? "I just wanted to let you know that if all goes well, you won't have to."  
  
The sound of Zhou Mi's footsteps retreated, and when Kyuhyun looked up again, Sungmin was standing in front of him. "I don't know whose side I'm on," Sungmin said quietly, pulling up a stool on his side of the counter. "You're my friend, Kyuhyun, but he is too."  
  
"He's a pirate," Kyuhyun repeated, his voice a mumble.  
  
"But why are all pirates bad?" Sungmin questioned, echoing Zhou Mi. "Anyway, you came here for something, right?"  
  
Kyuhyun shrugged, and shook his head lightly. "I was going to ask you about the _Spitfire_ , but there's no point now."  
  
"Be careful, Kyuhyun," Sungmin warned, but didn't stop him when he stood up to leave as well.  
  
  
-  
  
  
He took a breath. He knew what they were waiting for. His knees felt weak, his voice seemed caught in his throat. A wave of doubt washed over him, and he wondered if this was really worth it. An urge to turn back, to run, to quit this all. It wasn't too late, he could still do it. No doubt Heechul would roll his eyes and say that it was about time he came to his senses, and a good thing and that. The _Koala_ was a good ship; there was nothing wrong with plain old piracy. But that wasn't what he had left the _Spitfire_ for.  
  
So Zhou Mi smiled. "I'm sure you all know what we're here for," he began, his voice far more confident than he felt. "And I'm sure you've all heard of the _Revenge_. First of all, I'd like to tell you that I'm glad you're here—I don't think I'm the only one who's been told this is insane," he said with a slight laugh, murmurs and similar chuckles running through the assembled crew. "As of right now, we'll be going after the _Revenge_. Maybe for some of you it's the money and treasure they're supposed to have, or maybe it's for the glory and fame of besting the most notorious ship in the skies, but I don't think any of you would be here if it wasn't for our honour as pirates." He paused, aware of the stillness despite the wind rushing through the air. "As people."  
  
Zhou Mi finished awkwardly, his usual eloquence conspicuously absent today. He was met with a wave of silence, and a sea of eyes on him. "How will we find them?" someone asked.  
  
"We'll definitely be able to meet them," Zhou Mi said. "I'm sure of that."  
  
A few cheers trickled into the space left behind by his words, until they broke out in a flood, excitement palpable in the air. And fear, Zhou Mi noticed, but to not be afraid would be stupid, and Zhou Mi knew stupidity could be fatal. He stepped down from the bridge, and was met with a smile.  
  
" _Ge_."  
  
" _You brat. I still haven't forgiven you for disobeying orders_."  
  
Henry shrugged. "Speak slower, I can't understand you," he teased, although Zhou Mi knew that he'd understood perfectly, if not from the words, then from the tone and context. "What should I do?"  
  
Zhou Mi frowned, eyes flickering down to Henry's side, Henry bringing up a hand against it self-consciously. "You should be resting," he said.  
  
"I didn't join the _Koala_ for nothing," he said. "Besides, Ryeowook is really good."  
  
As if summoned, the other man stepped up behind Henry almost hesitantly, a light flush on his cheeks as he shook his head. "Henry recovers quickly," he explained. "I didn't do anything."  
  
"It's all thanks to you," Zhou Mi said gratefully. "But do you think it's okay for him to be up?"  
  
Ryeowook shrugged, and then nodded. "If he takes it easy," he agreed.  
  
Henry grinned, and squeezed Ryeowook's shoulder in thanks. "So, what should I do?"  
  
Zhou Mi nodded—to be honest, Henry being out of commission would have been a major blow. "If you and Onew could retune the guns and engines, that would be very helpful. Half of them for increased range, the other half for precision. Although," Zhou Mi mused, "it probably won't come to that."  
  
"What do you mean?" Henry asked curiously.  
  
"You'll see," Zhou Mi said. "I think you'll see."  
  
  
-  
  
  
The moment Siwon had returned to the _Medea_ and was free, Kyuhyun pulled him aside before he'd even boarded the ship. "Change of plans," he announced casually.  
  
"What do you mean?" Siwon frowned.  
  
Kyuhyun shrugged, wondering if his heart was loud to others as it was to him. "The _Revenge_. I've changed our plans."  
  
Siwon nodded. "You never told me your plans in the first place," he pointed out.  
  
_Oh_ , Kyuhyun thought. "I thought I'd let you know anyway," he said.  
  
"How did the visit with your family go?" Siwon asked casually, removing his gloves and tucking them into the pocket of his jacket.  
  
Kyuhyun stared at him until Siwon nodded at some point behind him; Kyuhyun turned and wasn't surprised to find Hankyung watching them with a light smirk. "Fine," Kyuhyun said. If awkward, stilted, and uncomfortable translated to 'fine' in any way.  
  
Siwon sighed; he had been telling Kyuhyun to fix his relationship with his family for as long as Kyuhyun could remember, as if it was something that could be fixed at all. Hankyung hopped over the railing and swung down onto the dock to join them, Kyuhyun shooting Hankyung a pointed look. Siwon looked like he was about to say something, when he frowned at something to his right. Kyuhyun followed his gaze to see a boy running towards them, waving.  
  
"I've a letter for someone on the _HMS Medea_ ," he said, slowing to a walk as he approached.  
  
"Who is it from?" Siwon asked.  
  
The boy shrugged. "Dunno. Tall, paid me good and said I should hurry or I'd miss ya." Kyuhyun's heart skipped a beat. "It's for a Lieutenant. Kyuhyun, I think." And another.  
  
"That'd be me," Kyuhyun said, holding out his hand. The moment the envelope came in contact with it, he stuffed it into a pocket. "You can go now."  
  
The boy nodded, and dashed off the same way he came. "Probably from Sungmin," Kyuhyun said by way of explanation. Siwon pursed his lips at him—Sungmin was by no stretch of the imagination, tall. "They introduced me to a girl. She's pretty."  
  
"Have you set a date?" Siwon wanted to know.  
  
Kyuhyun gaped at him. "I don't even remember her _name_ ," he said, and then regretted it instantly, Hankyung swallowing a round of laughter, Siwon not bothering to hide his chuckle. "Okay, so maybe it went less than fine, but it wasn't a disaster. I took her home and everything."  
  
"Her parents approve," Siwon asked, except the way he said it, the question had disappeared.  
  
"Yeah," Kyuhyun agreed, knowing that was the answer Siwon expected.  
  
Hankyung's eyes narrowed briefly, the set of his jaw tightening as he considered Kyuhyun. "Are you sure that's what you want?" he asked.  
  
Kyuhyun suddenly thought of a different Western man, and wondered if Hankyung knew. "It doesn't matter what I want," he said slowly. In his pocket, his fingers brushed against paper, and he thought of someone tall.  
  
  
-  
  
  
There was a flurry of wingbeats, and then a startled yelp. Zhou Mi looked over to the source of the commotion, laughing when he saw Eunhyuk batting at a bird that had decided to make his head its perch. His throat felt suddenly constricted, and it became hard to breathe, his smile faltering at the familiar pattern on the bird's wings. He made his way over, smile plastered firmly back on, only to find Donghae doubled over from laughter as well. "It was on my _head_ ," Eunhyuk whined, when Zhou Mi gently cupped it into his own hands.  
  
"Maybe," Donghae said as he caught his breath, "it thought it was a nest."  
  
"Maybe," Zhou Mi agreed, before wandering back to where he he'd been before. The pigeon cooed softly in his grasp, Zhou Mi running his hands down its legs just for confirmation—no note was attached. "I guess you can go home now," he said to the pigeon, bringing it to the railing. He tossed it into the air, watching it tumble in the crosswinds for a brief moment before finding its wings, making a beeline for the capital.  
  
"We have a meeting with the _Revenge_ ," Zhou Mi said quietly to Henry. Henry started—he thought he'd been quiet. "Some of the older pigeons were still trained to home to the _Revenge_ ," he explained. “And to an extent, me.”  
  
"I don't understand." Henry stepped up to the rail, watching the disappearing bird.  
  
"'We'll let the _Revenge_ find us', I told you. This is what I meant," Zhou Mi said, nodding at the distance. "The captain of the _Revenge_... I doubted that he would let go of a chance to kill the son of Zhou Zhu, even if he's only heard my name in passing." Zhou Mi smiled wryly, shrugging at Henry.  
  
"So... this is for revenge?" Henry asked hesitantly. He tripped unintentionally over the last word, a bitter reminder of what was omnipresent.  
  
Zhou Mi shook his head. "I don't think I have that much patience, even if it were for revenge," he said. "It's just a useful family connection. But this way, we choose the time and place."  
  
Henry nodded, not replying immediately. Wind rushed against the back of his head, Zhou Mi revelling in the sensation of flight, the ground rushing by far below, the trees with the same appearance as match sticks. "So what now?" Henry wanted to know.  
  
"We change course," Zhou Mi said. "And then we wait."  
  
  
-  
  
  
As it turned out, they did have to wait.  
  
Zhou Mi paced anxiously, from stern to bow, bow to stern, and stern to bow again. The _Koala_ cruised slowly midair in a near hover over the treetops, kept easily afloat in a major crosswind. "If you don't calm down, you'll upset everyone," Donghae pointed out, latching onto Zhou Mi as he walked past. Zhou Mi stopped suddenly, Donghae crashing awkwardly into his back.  
  
"Sorry," he apologised, as Donghae stepped aside. "Has there been news from the crows nest?" he asked.  
  
Donghae appeared to consider this for a moment, when a shout got both of their attentions. "Speak of the devil," Donghae said, pointing at the crow's nest. The watch waved, gesturing wildly to the north east. Zhou Mi looked at Donghae, before they both dashed to the starboard.  
  
"Wow," Donghae breathed almost reverently, peering through a spyglass.  
  
Zhou Mi stared at the looming black shape in the distance, knowing that before long, its trademark figurehead would be visible, the sharpened shape of its wings, the spurs fitted to its underside used for the very purpose of gutting ships. He heard a quiet "shit," beside him, and wasn't too surprised to see Jonghyun staring as well, a spyglass pressed to his eye. "It's impressive, isn't it," Zhou Mi said quietly.  
  
Jonghyun nodded, unable to take his eyes off the _Revenge_ 's form. "It's different seeing it than just hearing about it," he said. "You kind of forget about things when they don't bother you, y'know?"  
  
"I know," Zhou Mi said with a laugh. "You might want to get ready," he suggested softly. Jonghyun brought the spyglass down and collapsed it, tucking it into his pocket. He looked at Zhou Mi, eyes hard and expression grim, and nodded, walking away.  
  
"Five minutes," he estimated, and Donghae looked at him with a start. "There's a reason why the Navy's never been able to catch it," he said.  
  
"That's... really fast," was all Donghae had to say about the matter, before disappearing below deck, no doubt gathering the crew to operate the guns as soon as they were within range. Zhou Mi stayed where he stood, eyes trained on the distance. It felt almost anti-climatic, how calm he was right now. A smile flickered across his face, refusing to stay put despite his best efforts. Maybe he should have said it was for revenge—it might raise the tension a little. They would have to finish quickly, Zhou Mi knew. Finish quickly, or things would fall apart under his fingers, and Zhou Mi didn't think he could bear to see that happen. Not because of himself—whether or not he survived this, Zhou Mi didn't mind as long as the outcome was positive—but because the others had endless lives in front of them. Not Donghae, Donghae was like him, stuck and with nowhere else to go. But Henry, Henry could still find a life outside of piracy, Ryeowook could convince him. He liked Taemin too, the boy was too sweet for this, despite the surprising ruthlessness he'd shown during the raid on the _Hawk_. Onew reminded him of Henry; maybe it was because they were the same age, or their shared interest in mechs, or maybe because they both seemed too gentle to be around so much death. But him, Zhou Mi, was a pirate born, bred, and raised.  
  
Although, he thought with a tinge of regret, as the _Revenge_ closed in, a test shot falling just short of the _Koala_ prompting Zhou Mi to jog to the controls, he would've liked to see Kuixian again, if this was going to be the end.  
  
"All hands on deck," he yelled, banking the _Koala_ so its starboard guns were directed straight at the _Revenge_. A wave of gunfire echoed through the ship, one barely clipping the wing. The _Revenge_ pulled closer, returning fire. Zhou Mi frowned when a shell sailed overhead, crashing into the deck behind him, but too focused on bringing the _Koala_ within range to check for the damage. A second sally from the _Koala_ did more damage this time, a fire-shell exploding at the stern, the two ships now close enough that Zhou Mi could see the people on the _Revenge_. Donghae seemed to take this as a cue to switch the guns, aiming for the _Revenge_ 's crew instead. Zhou Mi smiled grimly—if there was one thing the _Revenge_ had never depended on, it was specialised weaponry, the ship always preferring to ram their way through obstacles instead.  
  
The _Revenge_ swung closer, a mere wingspans apart. Close enough. He let out a yell, lifting the _Koala_ upwards into a holding pattern. The mooring lines sailed across the space between the two ships, pulling them closer until their wings overlapped. Zhou Mi saw the captain of the _Revenge_ curse, staring overhead at the _Koala_. The _Koala_ 's crew swung down, cries from both sides filling the air. Zhou Mi ran to the rail to join them, looking back once to make sure that Henry was crouched at the controls like he'd been instructed—he'd need to pull the ship downwards when the time came.  
  
Zhou Mi landed in the middle of the _Revenge_ , bringing his blade up to block a swift downcut. The sounds of the contact were lost in the melee, Zhou Mi gritting his teeth as he ducked, attempting to feint from below. He was met with a knee upwards, Zhou Mi jerking away to avoid it, rolling to the side instead. The man he'd been trading blows with smiled at him grimly, waiting for Zhou Mi to get to his feet before stabbing forward. Zhou Mi stepped backwards, parrying the blow, and stepped backwards again, before jerking forward a half step, a sharp wrist flick disarming the other man. The moment of confusion was enough for him to finish him off.  
  
He glanced around him, familiar faces contorted in the midst of battle. But that wasn't what he was looking for. No, what he was looking for was near the bow, engaged on the bridge. Zhou Mi ran forward, dodging between clusters of pirates. "Not so fast," someone said - or he thought someone said - stepping in front of him.  
  
Zhou Mi balked, swinging his blade in a narrow arc, his attempt parried away. "Zhou Zhu's son, was it?" the man said, smirked. "Come to take your old man's ship?"  
  
Zhou Mi grunted a 'no', preferring to save his breath for more important things. Like a swift uppercut, followed by a side-step. Sweat was starting to bead on his forehead, Zhou Mi blinking it away as it trickled against his eyes.  
  
"You know, I'm the one who killed him," the man said. "Not the cap'n. Me." He laughed, as if it was an uproariously funny joke. Zhou Mi stepped back, blocking and blocking and blocking. Something caught at his leg—Zhou Mi slipped, automatically swinging his blade up to parry, but it was too late, the burn of steel through flesh slicing through his left shoulder. Zhou Mi winced as he regained his footing, clambering over a body before lunging forward. His attack was blocked again, Zhou Mi rolling with the blow this time. His arm seared with pain as he jarred it against the deck, but he didn't have time to pay it mind, left hand going to his holster instead. The man's eyes went wide as his hands both clutched at his chest, sword still in hand. Zhou Mi didn't wait to see him die.  
  
The captain of the _Revenge_ had seen him now, Zhou Mi was sure. He saw him toss a limp body over the railing—Minho, Zhou Mi realised with a lurch and with no time to discern anymore—and make his way determinedly towards Zhou Mi. Zhou Mi ran forward, blade still drawn. He leaped onto the bridge, left arm hanging limply at his side.  
  
"So you're Zhou Mi," the captain said, leering at him. "Do you regret this now?" He gestured at the deck behind Zhou Mi. Zhou Mi didn't turn to look.  
  
"Not really, but I think you might," he quipped easily.  
  
The captain of the _Revenge_ snorted. "Unlikely," he said. "I didn't think Zhou Zhu's son would look like such a weakling."  
  
"I'd rather not take after my father in so many ways," Zhou Mi said with a smile. A smile, before it faltered, as he saw someone come up from behind the captain. "For one," he said, lunging forward in a split-second decision because he didn't have more time than that to spare, "I don't mean to die here."  
  
It would have to be enough, Zhou Mi hoped desperately, biting back a whimper as the other's blade slid down the edge of his own, cutting deep into his side. When he managed to bite down the scream enough to straighten, he realised it had been enough.  
  
"That was for my parents." Henry stood still as he regarded the captain's body, his words soft, the blade in his hand dripping red with blood. His eyes scared Zhou Mi, the usual kindness replaced with brutality Zhou Mi would have known well had it been from anyone else. "And my town."  
  
"I should've known," Zhou Mi said quietly, hand pressed against his side. "You seemed to know your way around."  
  
Henry stared at him for a moment, before looking down the length of the blade, the hardness fading away. " _I'm sorry, gege_ ," he said just as quietly. " _I should have told you._ "  
  
"Don't apologise, I was depending on you for my life there," Zhou Mi said.  
  
Henry looked back up at him, the apology still clear in his eyes. "I showed Ryeowook the controls," he said by way of explanation, before Zhou Mi could ask.  
  
Zhou Mi nodded, and then turned. "Your captain is dead!" he yelled across the meelee. "The _Revenge_ is ours!"  
  
The sounds of fighting died down slowly, as they turned one by one to look at him. Zhou Mi stared back evenly, and steeled his heart as he kicked the limp body of the captain of the _Revenge_ forward. Silence lingered for a heavy moment, Zhou Mi's breath unevenly loud in his ears. But silence rarely lingered for long, always broken sooner or later.  
  
Sooner rather than later, as it turned out. "The _Revenge_ doesn't surrender!" someone called, at the same time Henry tapped at his shoulder, pointing at something in the distance.  
  
"The _Medea_ ," Zhou Mi said simply. They had taken too long. The _Revenge_ had arrived too late. He looked back to where the fighting had broke out again, and then up at the _Koala_. Ryeowook peeked over the railing, and Zhou Mi made a sharp gesture downwards, Ryeowook nodding in understanding before retreating out of view. " _Koala_ , back to the ship," he ordered, hoping beyond hope that they would listen and obey. What he saw instead was hesitation. " _Now_!"  
  
As one, he saw the crew of the _Koala_ fight their way to the starboard side, just as the _Koala_ dropped downwards, extended spurs crashing through the deck of the _Revenge_. Zhou Mi watched with grim satisfaction: they'd chosen the _Hawk_ to capture for good reason. He dashed to the side of the ship, rallying the others towards him. The crew of the _Revenge_ who had been lucky enough to avoid the assault began to recover from their confusion, and surged forward as well, determined to cut them down before they could escape. Zhou Mi saw Henry still standing where he'd been, and ran towards him. "Go," he insisted, pulling Henry along. "Ryeowook can't fight!" he reminded, giving him a push forward.  
  
The mention of his friend seemed to jerk Henry out of his thoughts, and he nodded, running towards the mooring lines. "What about you?" he yelled over his shoulder.  
  
Zhou Mi waved back. "I'll hold them off, don't worry, I'll be fine!"  
  
Henry stopped halfway up the line, staring at Zhou Mi. "You planned this, didn't you?"  
  
"Not entirely," Zhou Mi said with a laugh he didn't mean. "Now go!"  
  
The _Medea_ was drawing closer, and Zhou Mi knew that time was running short. He pressed his free hand against his side, trying to staunch the blood flow with little result. His breath was growing shorter, even as he tried to keep the press of _Revenge_ crew members away from the _Koala_. He was vaguely aware of people fighting alongside him, but didn't spare the energy to look—couldn't spare the energy to look. A wave of relief washed over him as the _Koala_ jerked free of the _Revenge_ and flew free. His vision began to tunnel, until Zhou Mi's knees gave way under him entirely.  
  
  
  
-  
  
  
"The _Revenge_!" Kyuhyun yelled out in reminder, as the other ship broke away. "Our priority is the _Revenge_!"  
  
The guns fired once, twice. Enough to cripple the rudder, but not enough to render it unairworthy. The _Medea_ pulled closer, the advance guard leaping across the distance with rifles drawn along the mooring lines while ramps were thrown across empty space. In the face of numbers and far superior firepower, Kyuhyun wasn't surprised when they threw down their weapons. Cowards.  
  
The _Revenge_ was a mess. The other pirates—Zhou Mi, Kyuhyun thought—had done a thorough job. Kyuhyun reached into his pocket, fingers brushing against the slip of paper with nothing written on it but a coordinate, a date, and a time. He wandered the deck, leaving Siwon to oversee the procedures, the crew of the _Medea_ rounding up the prisoners. This wasn't how he'd imagined capturing the _Revenge_ , all clean up crew and no real fighting involved. So much for strategy, he thought bitterly, bending down to inspect the crushed deck.  
  
When he straightened, his eyes met with a young pirate's. The pirate's eyes flickered away first, looking at his feet. There were three of them, clustered around something—or someone, Kyuhyun realised. He approached slowly, making sure that his drawn handgun was clearly visible.  
  
"Zhou Mi." He couldn't help the name that slipped out on the exhale, his heart lurching involuntarily. The pirate's eyes found his again, and Kyuhyun wondered how loudly he'd spoken.  
  
"He's still alive," someone said quietly, and Kyuhyun looked down to see a fourth, his shirt tied around Zhou Mi's waist. Kyuhyun forced his eyes away from the dark stain, travelling upwards to his face instead.  
  
He looked away.  
  
He was used to seeing smiles, laughter, shock once, apology more than once. Although, Kyuhyun supposed, getting stabbed in the side probably really fucking hurt, and he couldn't blame Zhou Mi for the pain painted across his face.  
  
"Take that one too," Kyuhyun ordered the crew members who were finishing with the round up of the pirates.  
  
"What for? He's almost gone," one of them said dismissively, aiming a kick at Zhou Mi's prone form. Kyuhyun tensed as Zhou Mi let out a groan, stirring slightly.  
  
"One more pirate to hang," he said instead. "Always good for morale."  
  
The crew member shrugged, grabbed Zhou Mi by the wrists, and pulled him away along with the others.  
  
Kyuhyun swallowed the urge to retch.  
  
  
-  
  
  
Zhou Mi came to to a dull throb in his head, and a sharp pain along his side. _Alive_ , was his first thought. _Grounded_ was his second.  
  
"Awake, captain?"  
  
He forced open his eyes, turning towards the voice. His vision swam, and Zhou Mi had to shut them again. "You shouldn't be here," he murmured. When he opened his eyes again, Onew was leaning over him, a smile on his face. Zhou Mi's eyes slid shut again, too heavy to keep open.  
  
"We couldn't just leave you there," Onew explained.  
  
"We?" Zhou Mi said to himself, blinking his eyes open again. With a jolt, he realised that Key and Jonghyun were sitting side by side across from him, Taemin curled up in a corner by himself. Somehow mostly unscathed, he realised with a burst of misplaced relief, although their friend was conspiciously missing. "I'm sorry," he apologised, eyes drifting shut again.  
  
"What for?" Onew spoke frankly, sitting back down next to Zhou Mi. "It's not like you did anything bad."  
  
Zhou Mi laughed—a mistake, as pain ripped through his torso. "I shouldn't have agreed to sign the five of you aboard in the first place," he said.  
  
"Four now," Jonghyun spoke up, his voice scratchy. Taemin bit his lip; he looked like he was trying not to cry, although his eyes were puffy in any place.  
  
Zhou Mi pressed his lips together. "I'm sorry," he repeated.  
  
"Just shut up." Zhou Mi looked up at Key in surprise—the other man's voice was sharp. His eyes looked red too, although that could have just been the lighting. "You don't even know why we were there in the first place. It's not like you're responsible for us. We chose to do this, and Minho did too, so there's nothing for you to apologise for."  
  
"Besides," Jonghyun said, "if anyone should apologise, it's me. This is all my fault really." Jonghyun shrugged, a smile quirking at his lips. Key punched him on the shoulder, but it lacked any real power. "You weren't the only one with a beef against the _Revenge_."  
  
"But, the Navy—"  
  
"You can't really stick around the Academy after you've broken someone out of jail," Onew said, cracking a wan smile.  
  
"Oh," was all Zhou Mi had to say, his mind still foggy.  
  
Footsteps echoed down the hall, and they silenced immediately. "Kuixian," Zhou Mi breathed, when a familiar figure appeared through the bars.  
  
"You're awake," Kyuhyun said. He stood awkwardly, one hand reaching out to grab at a bar. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"I've been better," Zhou Mi answered honestly. Judging from the looks the boys were giving Kyuhyun, Zhou Mi realised that this wasn't the first time Kyuhyun had dropped by. "How long has it been?"  
  
Kyuhyun shrugged. "Two days. You woke up just in time for the exeuction." Kyuhyun forced a smile onto his face, but it fell flat before it had a chance to take root.  
  
"Lucky me," Zhou Mi said. His own attempted grin ended as a grimace instead.  
  
"You shouldn't be here," Kyuhyun said, his face falling into a frown.  
  
Zhou Mi offered him a one-shouldered shrug, the one that didn't hurt. "Not everything goes as planned," he said simply.  
  
"No. I mean. As a pirate."  
  
"Oh," Zhou Mi said, Kyuhyun's meaning finally clicking into place. He wanted to laugh, maybe, but it would hurt. He settled for an amused smile instead. "Oh Kuixian. But I am a pirate. My father was a pirate. Even if I wasn't a pirate, I would be a pirate's son."  
  
"But then wouldn't your son—"  
  
"I wasn't going to have a son." Zhou Mi stared back at him, eyes saying far more than what his words already did. "Besides, it doesn't seem like I'll have the chance now, anyway," he said lightly.  
  
Kyuhyun's grip on the bars tightened. "You can," he said. "I have the keys."  
  
Zhou Mi shook his head. "You'd get in trouble, I can't do that." He looked at Kyuhyun, and was surprised at the desperation he saw in his eyes. "Can you let them go, though?" he asked, nodding at the others. They stared at him. Zhou Mi smiled back.  
  
"I can pretend to attack you, and then you can stop me, but they'll be gone already. That way you won't get in trouble." Already, he could feel tiredness slip back into his mind. One of the downsides of blood loss. "Think of it as one last favour."  
  
He could see Kyuhyun hesitating. "They've already announced that the _Medea_ is the one that took down the _Revenge_. They wouldn't smear my name. It'd be bad for morale."  
  
"That's great," Zhou Mi said with a smile. "But please, Kuixian?"  
  
Kyuhyun's free hand was already wrapped around a key. Without breaking eye contact, Kyuhyun unlocked the door of the cell. "Zhou Mi," he said, slowly, unsteadily, the door creaking open. "I can get you out. Somehow."  
  
Zhou Mi shook his head, getting unsteadily to his feet. Beside him, Onew hastened to help him up, and he was more than thankful for the support. "I wouldn't be able to get far," he said—and lunged forward, throwing his entire weight towards Kyuhyun, the two of them tumbling to the ground. "Run!" he yelled, a haze of pain settling around his mind. He saw them obey, run past him one by one, Taemin hesitating at the tail end before Key reached back and pulled him along.  
  
"You're an idiot," Kyuhyun said from below him, making no effort to push him off.  
  
"I know," Zhou Mi said, and let his head drop forward. Their lips brushed for the briefest instant before he rolled to the side, just as he heard the crash of guards through the door. "I'm glad..." he murmured by Kyuhyun's ear, before he blacked out entirely again.  
  
  
-  
  
  
There was an execution. Kyuhyun had never been fond of executions.  
  
"I think Zhou Mi gege really liked you."  
  
Kyuhyun looked beside him, the formerly empty space occupied by two youths—he recognised the one who spoke as the boy who'd killed the _Revenge_ 's captain. The other was familiar too, but not in a way Kyuhyun could place. He'd never been good with names. "I'm sorry," he said, not knowing what else to say when the person in question was about to die.  
  
"He told you where we would be, didn't he?"  
  
Kyuhyun nodded, watching as cheers rose again, bodies swinging from the gallows. He looked beside him, gauging their reactions—the boy who spoke didn't flinch, the other looked away in haste.  
  
"Kyuhyun." Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to see Sungmin. Sungmin offered him a wan smile, stepping up to stand on his other side.  
  
"Hyung," Kyuhyun greeted, but Sungmin ignored him momentarily to peer at the two pirates.  
  
"Henry, Ryeowook, right?" Sungmin asked, and was rewarded with a surprised nod. "Zhou Mi mentioned you two, the last time. Sorry, I overheard you a little—you're Western, aren't you?"  
  
"Just me," the one who must have been Henry said quickly. "Ryeowook has nothing to do with it."  
  
Sungmin laughed, returning his attention to the front. "You don't need to be so defensive; I don't really care."  
  
"Why are you here?" Kyuhyun asked Sungmin.  
  
Sungmin shrugged, his expression falling. "A few someones dropped by and told me that Mi wasn't going to make it. No," he said quickly, when Kyuhyun craned to look around, "I left them at the inn. It's never nice to see someone you know die, you know. And hanging isn't a particularly nice way to die."  
  
Kyuhyun saw Henry stiffen beside him, a distressed sound coming from Ryeowook. "I suppose so," Kyuhyun said. "I wouldn't know."  
  
"I told him not to hurt you," Sungmin said quietly. He could see Henry inch closer, in an attempt to listen. "Looks like it backfired anyway."  
  
It was Kyuhyun's turn to stiffen. "He let the _Medea_ take the credit," he said.  
  
"I know," Sungmin replied. "He meant to do that. I shouldn't have told him you were going after the _Revenge_."  
  
"He's an idiot."  
  
"Probably," Sungmin said. He took a step back, speaking around Kyuhyun to the other two again. "Go and find Donghae, I have things to talk about with Kyuhyun."  
  
Henry frowned at the two of them. "We do too," he said.  
  
"Later," Sungmin said. "This is urgent."  
  
Henry seemed to hesitate, before Ryeowook reached over and pulled Henry away by the wrist.  
  
"What's so urgent?"  
  
Sungmin shrugged. "Nothing, really. The _Devil's Gale_ is here too, you know. I think their captain might want to kill you if he knew. Those two should distract him for now."  
  
"I'm surprised they didn't want to kill me too," Kyuhyun said weakly.  
  
"'Zhou Mi wouldn't want that', is probably what they're thinking. They actually liked him."  
  
Another cheer rose from the crowd, as the next three were led onto the platform. Zhou Mi was at the end, Kyuhyun knew. The last one. He wondered if he'd last that long.  
  
"That'd be for the best," Sungmin agreed, and Kyuhyun realised he'd said the last part aloud. "It's a more dignified death."  
  
"You're taking this really well."  
  
"Not really, I've just seen more people come and go. I can't say I wasn't expecting this eventually when I saw the two of you together. I just didn't think it'd be this soon."  
  
"I didn't either."  
  
The two of them fell silent, Kyuhyun watching as the twitching feet finally grew still, the bodies tossed aside.  
  
"He was Han Geng's cousin," Sungmin said suddenly. "Hankyung, I mean. Second cousin, from the mother's side. I don't think Zhou Mi knew though. Siwon told me."  
  
So he had known, Kyuhyun thought, and wondered what Hankyung had thought when they'd dragged Zhou Mi's body in, broken and bloody as it had been.  
  
Another three—and then Zhou Mi would be next.  
  
"Last chance for a rescue," Sungmin said quietly.  
  
Kyuhyun simply looked at him. "I tried to," he said. "He wouldn't."  
  
"Probably out of responsibility. They lost Minho, and it must have hit him pretty hard. He would've held them back, if he'd gone with them."  
  
"I could've done it, got them all out."  
  
"In all honesty?" Sungmin shot him a look.  
  
"I could've," Kyuhyun repeated.  
  
"No, you couldn't have," Sungmin countered evenly. Something at the front caught his attention, and Sungmin straightened, craning his neck upwards to peer forward, his eyes narrowing. "Oh," he said softly, tension suddenly draining out of his body. "It looks like you got your wish after all."  
  
Kyuhyun turned away. There was no more reason to stick around.  
  
After all, he'd never been fond of executions. This one was no exception. 


End file.
